Ice Age Item Creation

[fusangite]

I've posted this to the house rules forum but thought I'd also try it here:

I'm currently running an ice age campaign in which two characters, a Shaman (as per the Green Ronin handbook) and a Wizard have just reached the point where they are considering taking item creation feats. A couple of problems present themselves:
1. Item creation involves expenditure of GP. There is no cash economy in my world. The characters periodically find stores of coins but leave them behind because they are of no utility. If you were to run item creation in a world with no cash economy, what would you substitute for the GP requirement in item creation?
2. The quality of items and loss of knowledge is such that no character has the capacity to produce a masterwork item; how can I get around this problem for characters who wish to fashion magic weapons?

All opinions and supplemental questions greatly appreciated.

 

[Tewligan]

Require specific materials for the items. I've always assumed that the GP cost of making magic items reflects the rare components you have to gather. Since they can't just buy what they need, they'll have to actually go out and risk life and limb to get those things that "modern" D&D mages just plunk down the gold to get. Maybe a wand needs to be carved from the tusk of the oldest mammoth of a certain herd, who can only be killed in a certain way in order for the tusk to be enchantment-worthy. A ring needs to be carved from ice taken from a distant legendary valley. Also, if you're requiring the item to be made from special materials like these, I'd say just ignore the masterwork requirement.

 

[Stormrunner]

Remember the old archaeology saying, "Primitive does not equal stupid."

Just because it's Ice Age doesn't mean you can't have masterwork items - they'll just be masterwork bone or stone items rather than steel. I've seen stone spear- and arrow-heads that were works of art, and bone needles as tiny and sharp as modern steel ones. Against unarmored opponents, stone is as damaging as steel, the relative heaviness and fragility of the stone axe or spear made up for by the fact that it is sharper. The main difference is you can't make long thin blades, such as swords. Small knives are possible with a wood or bone back support, like on a hacksaw, but anything over 6 inches long is impractical. The Aztecs made a weapon called a macquehuitl, essentially a wooden sword with a series of stone arrowheads set into it like sawteeth. Various Pacific island cultures did the same with shark teeth, sometimes adding stingray spines as well (which break off in the wound like a howler's quills).

Check out the Nyambe setting - though it's tropical rather than icy, there are quite a few parallels: little or no armor, tribal cultures, shamanic magic ... I could definitely see a Nyambe Mask Maker in an Ice Age setting - have you ever seen Inuit ritual masks? Scary and very weird...