Primitive and Advanced Barbarian Tribes

[SHARK]

Greetings!

In my own campaign world of Thandor, I often have different tribes of barbarian humans roaming around in the forests, mountains and wastes. Some of these tribes are very primitive, and have a stone-age technology level; while others, have developed advanced metallurgic skills in armoursmithing, weaponsmithing, and various kinds of jewelry-making and gem-craft, and working with bronze, gold and silver. It varies things up a bit, plus, to be honest, I get kinda tired of the threat to Village of Peaceful Joy always being Orcs. Or Beastmen. It's nice to have 500,000 savage human barbarians, all with a different culture, different religion, different language, and different goals begin to invade an area...err, I mean, "immigrate" of course...

Semper Fidelis,

SHARK

 

[green slime]

I'm assuming those Barbarians with more primitive technology are pushed into niche existances in the far corners of your world, similar to eskimos, and aborigines?

 

[SHARK]

I'm assuming those Barbarians with more primitive technology are pushed into niche existances in the far corners of your world, similar to eskimos, and aborigines?

Greetings!

Hey Green Slime!

Yes, yes...of course you're right...you *know* that's right!!!!

Semper Fidelis,

SHARK

 

[green slime]

Well, IMC, the most well defined barbarians are the Centauric peoples, living in the far north, with a Germanic flavour. There are other barbaric peoples to the South, but they aren't near the focus of the campaign, so I haven't given them much thought. Perhaps I should spend a few moments pondering their fate.

The Empire hasn't managed to subjugate either of these peoples, being mostly preocupied with the machinations of the Bone Necromancer, (another human civilisation).

They (Barbarians) are not held in high regard, but many do serve as mercenaries and body guards.

(Edited pathetic sentence structure, due to gaming fatigue)

 

[mmadsen]

I'm assuming those Barbarians with more primitive technology are pushed into niche existances in the far corners of your world, similar to eskimos, and aborigines?

I'm assuming the savage Picts live in vast primeval forests... (I know we've got some Conan fans here...)

 

[ashockney]

Raw skill + Unfettered Rage

I'm reading this post from you, SHARK and imaging how such a civilization could persist in your extremely high powered and d high magic campaigns. I'm picturing an entire civilization, groomed on hunting and pillaging. Strengthened over generations of Darwinian culling, and mastering the arts of mass combat that leverages their strength, numbers, and persistance. Regretably, they are short lived against a well prepared and well executed strategy by forces with superior firepower and technlogy.

In my campaigns in the FR, I've had fun with the 'Horde' who primarily leverage anti magic as their defense/technology, and the Barbarians of Rashemen. Rashemen in particular I found to be a rich and well developed high magic sword and sorcery barbarian land.

 

[SavageRobby]

If you haven't already, you should read the old Dragon Magazine article about Barbarians, by Katherine Kerr, IIRC.

 

[Emirikol]

If your campaign has a 'ancient' theme, then there will be pockets of civilization surrounded by vast barbarian lands.

If you play a midieval or renniasannce theme, well, then you get what you pay for I think you can do renniasannce surrounded by vast areas of barbarians, but you've got to make that clear from the start.

Think Xena. Think WARLORDS running the countryside instead of guilds of stuffy wizard-merchants.

Think Conan. Think rising new civilizations struggling against horrible variations in power of neighbors and monsters.

Think Babylon. Think superstitious populations who hide behind their walls, jealously guarding the secrets of their civilization knowing that in an instant, it could be gone..to the wrath of the gods or evil newcomers.

Think Rome. Think what Marcus A. says in the beginning of the movie to going up against the barbarians.

jh

[/IMG]

 

[SHARK]

If you haven't already, you should read the old Dragon Magazine article about Barbarians, by Katherine Kerr, IIRC.

Greetings!

That is an excellent article! I've loved it for years. I think it is good for barbarian tribes to be different, interesting and unique. The RAW barbarian is pretty vanilla and boring.

Semper Fidelis,

SHARK

 

[Darklone]

I always liked to have the same though I did have several different racial tribes as well

One of the things I yoinked from the board here years ago: Use wizards for the advanced tribes, but change their spellbooks into runeslabs, scrolls into blessed branches and other stuff. Makes a lot of flavorful things possible by sticking to the coreclasses.