Creating 'primitive' villages in game terms

[johnsemlak]

I was doing a write-up for a village described in the Isle of Dread, and I was looking in the DMG for any rules on 'primative' weapons. What rules are there for creating a village with a 'native' population, the kind you'd find in a jungle or so forth?

In Game terms, how would such a town, and it's inhabitants, be different than a standard D&D village?

 

[Nifft]

IMC, Primitive = Simple weapons only, and no interesting metals. Er, except no Crossbows, and Shortbows (not Composite) are fine. With a few Druids around, Primitive does not have to mean low comfort. I'd expect nicely shaped caves, fresh water, comfortable furs or hammocs, etc.

In real life, primitive means much more manual labor-intensive production of everything. In D&D world, Magic amplifies individual labor in a way that replaces technology (while NOT requiring mass-production or other institutional changes in society).

Basically, a Druid with Craft skills, Stone Shape and Wood Shape replaces the blacksmith. Instead of metal heads on top of spears, you have stone heads. No difference in effect, due to Druidic magic (or something).

No Wizards or Clerics -- Druids, Bards and Sorcerers only. Paladins might be okay. Rangers are encouraged.

-- N

 

[Pax]

Arms and Equipment guide has a good treatment of differing arms and armor at differing time periods / development levels -- covering the stone age, bronze age, dark ages, and crusades, specifically..

And both A&Eq and the 3.0 DMG have rules for Stone and Bone weapons (-2 to hit and damage, minimum damage still 1, hardness/hitpoin ts 8/15 for stone and 6/10 for bone).

If you're talking true, live-in-grass-huts style primitives, the A&Eq Guide lists the following weapons for the Stone Age (all are common except the whip): Club, Dagger, Dart, Handaxe, JAvelin, Quarterstaff, Shortbow, Shortspear, Sling, Whip.

For more-advanced primitives, you could go bronze age (bronze is -1 to hit and dsamage (minimum dmage 1), hardness 9, 20hp/inch), the list adds: throwing axe, battleaxe, gauntlet, spiked gauntlet, greataxe, greatclub, light lance, longbow, longspear, longsword, mace (light or heavy), net, composite shortbow, sickle, shotsword, trident, and warhammer as common weapons; flail (light or heavy), kama, and nunchaku as uncommon weapons, and drops the sling entirely.

At the dark ages or crusades level, we're talking pretty much, D&D standard between the two of 'em.

Note that things not listed are only "not usually found in this time period" ... there's no hard-and-fast rule. If you want a bunch of folks with stone warhammers ... go for it. A warhammer isn't that difficult a tool to envision, it's basically an advanced club ... ^_^

 

[Nightfall]

Definately if in a jungle setting, blowguns are a must.

 

[Silveras]

I was doing a write-up for a village described in the Isle of Dread, and I was looking in the DMG for any rules on 'primative' weapons. What rules are there for creating a village with a 'native' population, the kind you'd find in a jungle or so forth?

In Game terms, how would such a town, and it's inhabitants, be different than a standard D&D village?

You may want to check out Nyambe, which details an Africa-like setting. As I recall, Isle of Dread was a tropical island ? In which case, the equipment, feats, and skill modifications in Nyambe: African Adventures and Nyambe: Ancestral Vault may be very appropriate.

In terms of the population, primitive villages would probably be places where the footnote on the "Highest-Level locals" table in the DMG would come into play. In other words, the level of the highest Barbarian is 1d8+ Community Modifier, instead of 1d4+ CM.

Using that as a guide, you can adjust the rolls for other classes, too. Fighters may be slightly less common than usual, Rangers may be more (or about the same). Clerics are probably gone, while Adepts would be higher. Paladins tend to go with Clerical religions (in terms of flavor), so they are probably reduced or gone as well. Of course, your vision may differ from mine in that regard. As mentioned above, Wizards are probably reduced or gone, replaced with Sorcerers.

I think the requirements on conversions (for posting) were rather strict; if you cannot use 3rd party material (even OGC), then Nyambe may not help you much. If you can, though, it is an excellent resource.