D&D General Neolithic D&D

[dave2008]

I would probably eliminate full caster classes or rework them to be half-caster classes.

 

[Stormonu]

I have been nerding out a little over neolithic archaeology, from Gobekli tepe to Catalhoyuk and so on, and I was thinking about how you could do D&D in (a fantastical version of) that time period.

What classes would be important? What races? What equipment? What rules? What changes would you need from typical D&D set in its sort of if you squint Medieval-ish setting to one at the very dawn of civilization?

Have you ever run a neolithic D&D campaign, or other fantasy RPG? How did it go? What sorts of adventures and things did you focus on?

Would running/playing Dark Sun count?

Granted my contact with neolithic has been through Jean M. Auel's series, the (really bad) Quest for Fire and Genndy Tartakovsky's Primal and such so it's way more cinematic that archeological. But we are playing a game and telling stories, not doing dissertations, so I'd be more inclined to run things through the eyes of Hollywood anyway.

I don't think much of the mechanics of D&D would need to change, I think mostly the cosmetics though would have to be re-envisioned to match the world. That regular spear is little more than a flint-sharped branch. A +1 spear, maybe it's bronze or has a flint head. The +3 one? Someone made that sucker out of iron - or maybe the spine of a feared predator. Even armors could be reconceptualized - scale mail is actually made of reptilian scales, The Aztec had wool armor that the Spanish Conquistadors swapped their metal breastplates for, and plate armor might be some form of bone or bark armor that fully covers the body and highly protective against the "standard" assumed weapons of wood spears, flint knifes and stone axes.

 

[Reynard]

Would running/playing Dark Sun count?

I don't think so? Dark sun has advanced civilizations with writing and wheels and such doesn't it?

Granted my contact with neolithic has been through Jean M. Auel's series, the (really bad) Quest for Fire and Genndy Tartakovsky's Primal and such so it's way more cinematic that archeological. But we are playing a game and telling stories, not doing dissertations, so I'd be more inclined to run things through the eyes of Hollywood anyway.

That isn't the neolithic.

the neolithic is about 10000 BCE, at the very beginnings of human civilization. There are towns and the beginnings of agriculture and, importantly, monumental structures and obviously complex societies. But there is not writing yet, nor the wheel, nor complete agriculture subsistence. Nonetheless there is a high level of sophistication in textiles and tools, with obsidian being the most valuable material in the world, and the beginnings of pottery.

 

[mamba]

That game looks like it is set way too early for what I am talking about here.

not so sure about that, you do have humans living in tribes and so forth, what sets it apart are the fantastical elements, but I would expect them in a D&D game set in the stone age too, whether exactly the ones from this setting or others

There also is / will be https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/lorenthegm/born-from-ice-stone-age-role-playing-5e

 

[Reynard]

not so sure about that, you do have humans living in tribes and so forth, what sets it apart are the fantastical elements, but I would expect them in a D&D game set in the stone age too, whether exactly the ones from this setting or others

There also is / will be https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/lorenthegm/born-from-ice-stone-age-role-playing-5e

Again, I am talking about the neolithic era, which is later than those game seem to be setting themselves up in.

 

[mamba]

Again, I am talking about the neolithic era, which is later than those game seem to be setting themselves up in.

Have you taken a closer look, because I don't think they are that far from what you are looking for... If you have, what are you missing?

Wikipedia says the Neolithic had the beginnings of farming, domestication of animals and the transition from hunter/gatherer to having settlements. All of that is present in Planegea (technically farming is out, but settlements are not, easy enough to have farming...), you even have Seafaring. It seems more of a question of what kind of setting you want these in to me

 

[Tales and Chronicles]

Does something like Horizon Zero Dawn, but fantasy would work? Like the world died once, humans are back but the world now belongs to Giants and Dragons.

Oral tradition, small settlements, mostly hunting, no technology unless you find iron or steel weapons in a taboo ruins from the old world.

Maybe with the advent of the bastion rules you could even put a focus on scavenging and gathering stuff to advance your clans settlements.

 

[MGibster]

So neolithic is a setting detail, but what's the game going to be about? It'd D&D, so butt kicking for goodness in a high fantasy setting is a given, but what sets this neolithic world apart from Greyhawk, the Forgotten Realms, or even Dark Sun? What's our hook? Once we have our hook we can figure out the best way to adapt the species, background, and classes to the game.

So what's the hook? What makes this different from other settings? In most D&D settings, it seems to me like you're picking over the bones of long abandoned, ancient cultural sites (dungeons). But in this neolithic setting, everything is new. There are no dungeons (okay, maybe a few ancient Yuan-ti structures or something) and maybe a lot of the staples we've grown accustomed to having just aren't there or are only just appearing. Undead? Never heard of 'em. But Uncle Roger seems to be doing now even after we buried him last week.

 

[Tonguez]

I think you'd have to make some big changes to some of the classes, otherwise what's the point of a neolithic D&D game? Neolithic means a pre-literate society, so there are no Wizards as there are no scrolls or spell books. I know back in Dragon magazine they had an article about alternatives to spell books, but, again, if you're just going to have the same Wizard then why bother with the neolithic setting?

people forget that the Sumerians first emerged in the neolithic culture, though admittedly late neolithic and they didnt become literate until later.

Anyway while I'd get rid of Wizard, thats because the Arcane-Divine split hasnt happened and instead all magic comes from divine bargains. Whether thats Clerics, Warlocks or Scorcerers is cultural but it makes sense for Wise-ones to be holed up in caves and sacred sites carving proto-runes and making 'inspired' paintings. Tattoos also work and are kinda portable. IMC Ive used Quipu (Incan knotted cords) as scrolls to give these wise-ones some flexibility.

IMC I also have Paladins represented by 'Champions' inspired warriors who allow themselves to be possesses by dangerous spirits in order to channel the spirits power.

No heavy armour but Weapons I didnt bother to change since if everyone is using Stone then theres no need, and its easier for me to imaging that my Short sword is made from obsidian shards in a wooden handle than having to actually stat up a new weapon.

 

[Tonguez]

So neolithic is a setting detail, but what's the game going to be about? It'd D&D, so butt kicking for goodness in a high fantasy setting is a given, but what sets this neolithic world apart from Greyhawk, the Forgotten Realms, or even Dark Sun? What's our hook? Once we have our hook we can figure out the best way to adapt the species, background, and classes to the game.

So what's the hook? What makes this different from other settings? In most D&D settings, it seems to me like you're picking over the bones of long abandoned, ancient cultural sites (dungeons). But in this neolithic setting, everything is new. There are no dungeons (okay, maybe a few ancient Yuan-ti structures or something) and maybe a lot of the staples we've grown accustomed to having just aren't there or are only just appearing. Undead? Never heard of 'em. But Uncle Roger seems to be doing now even after we buried him last week.

Your patriarch the owner of 3000 sheep has come to the great gathering at Gobleki trading textiles and seeking alliances, but the camps of the people are abuzz with whispers of impending doom! Strange celestial events have been seen in the sky and now the Prophet Agdalbasha has called for a champion from each tribe to travel to beyond the northern mountains to seek the lost Well of Enki - who will be your peoples champion? Are you worthy of the blessings of the gods?