Celto-Vikings: lets create the ideal RPG barbarian culture

[Turanil]

Okay, this is the brother thread to Vikings or Celts?. I have decided to ponder the question the other way around.

So, you are going to be a player in a fantasy setting (with a dark-age medieval flair), and have decided to play a barbarian. Describe the most important traits of this barbarian character and his/her culture.

I guess this barbarian will be modelled mostly from Vikings or Celts, or even Mongols, but this doesn't have to be necessarily the case. Tell me about your prfect barbarian.

 

[mythusmage]

A Bronze Age Thracian horseman; the original centaur.

Of course, to the Minoans the Mycenae were pretty dang barbaric themselves.

 

[painandgreed]

A different pantheon than "civilized" culture. They should be foreign to the rest of the world and not have too many common points of understanding.

Originating in a harsh environment and culture that requires being a barbarian to survive. Very dangerous and requiring rage and lots of HP, movement, and DR to survive.

I think to be a good culture, they'll have to be a little complicated and have something besides combat. I like the idea of making them traders, explorers, and perhaps even diplomatic to some extent. Perhaps the culture has a postition that is represented by a feat for such a person, a face man that deals with other cultures. It would make Appraise and Diplomacy class skills and give a +1 bonus to each.

 

[Ralif Redhammer]

Agreed. I'm one for colder climates. And for cultural details. If we're looking at mostly illiterate tribes, they need to have a strong oral, musical, or pictoral artistic tradition.

If we throw in a mongol influence, maybe the barbarians ride elk, or some fantastic shaggy mount capable of handling the low temperatures. Snow lizards or winter unicorns...

Originating in a harsh environment and culture that requires being a barbarian to survive. Very dangerous and requiring rage and lots of HP, movement, and DR to survive.

I think to be a good culture, they'll have to be a little complicated and have something besides combat.

 

[lukelightning]

Instead of currency they use snoo snoo!

 

[painandgreed]

Agreed. I'm one for colder climates. And for cultural details. If we're looking at mostly illiterate tribes, they need to have a strong oral, musical, or pictoral artistic tradition.

I'd also be happy with a jungle environment. Short little guys with no armor that are almost impossibly strong and quick and can disappear into the vegetation in a moments notice.

Yes, for illeteracy, I think that oral traditions will be one of the most valued things out there as it is the binding point of their culture. I could see lots of barbarian/bards in such a culture, especially as the tribes elders or leaders. Perhaps only allowed to multiclass into bard after proving themselves worthy.

 

[adwyn]

One thing I did IMC was to replace direct purchase with gifting only - even barter was rare. Mechanically I did this by using the D20 wealth system. You're likelyhood of getting what you needed was governed only by your reputation for generosity. It drove the players nuts as they gave away their treasure to strangers and had to hope they would get other things in return.

 

[Wormwood]

So, you are going to be a player in a fantasy setting (with a dark-age medieval flair), and have decided to play a barbarian. Describe the most important traits of this barbarian character and his/her culture.

1. Body paint
2. Wolves
3. Ice and Snow (I come from the land of...)
4. Crom
5. Thews. Lots of thews.

 

[painandgreed]

What would the makeup of the culture consist of classwise? Is everyone, including all the women, start as a barbarian? Are the the other classes compatable with such a culture? What would the other classes postions in the culture be? Is it a barbarian ruling class with a multitude of thralls(commoners) or does everybody have to pull their own weight? Does the barbarian class have the skills to care for himself or is he like the fighter and incapable of functioning outside of his narrow combat role?

Personally, I see the barbarian culture being mostly barbarians. Coming from the cold, dangerous wastelands and havign to raid and fight to survive, the other classes just don't have what it takes to protect the tribe. Most members of the tribe start out with a level of barbarian as the rough and tumble world is all they're trained in and division of labor isn't really well defined. They have Craft and Survival so they can fight, make their own items, and fend for themselves in a sustance manner, fishing and hunting.

After a level or two, they might multi-class. Cleric being a class suitable for a barbarian culture. They'll need the magic and cleric is a suitable marial build. Wizard is right out. Bard has it's place as the memory of the tribe and culture and perhaps what little magic they are comfortable with. Rogue might be helpful to some but it's low hit points and skills based on avoiding combat or fighting dirty might not be seen highly by such a combat culture where the tribe's survival means everybody fighting as hard as they can in an instant.

Many of the other classes such as commoner, expert, and even rogue would be left for the thralls, the lower classes. Thralls are either a lower cast, slaves from conquored people, or those who have failed in normal barbarian society. They preform much of the professions and agriculture needed. In a dangerous society that they live in, these are not important skills and are left for the lower classes. In the undeveloped wilderness, one only needs to make a weapon, hunt, and kill and all other things such as farmers, lawyers, etc are luxuries.

There would probably be some prestige classes such as Barbarian Leader that would fill in some other needed roles of the society.

 

[Aaron L]

Cimmerians. Its what my Goth are modelled on.