Stone Age D&D Games?
- Thread starter VirgilCaine
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TheLostSoul
Explorer
Aaron2 said:
Yes there is. It signified the era (around 4000 BC in Europe) where copper was easily attained from the surface and pure enough for imidiate use. Later it had to be dug out and had to be worked to be useable. The main copper district in this period was in the area around present day Transylvania.
Some European areas that did not get a proper Bronze Age until later (such as Southern Scandinavia) had an early copper horizon at this time. The properable reason that it did not evolve into a true age, is that the contacts with the copper producing areas were severed as the areas moved.
I like the idea, especially Henry's concept for using NPC classes. But, I don't think my players would go for it. What's the motivation? Why would the characters be adventurers? It also seems a little underpowered, and modules would be difficult to use. Check out Mesopotamia for a great bronze-age setting.
Andor
First Post
It's been touched on already, but remember that 'stone age' cover a very broad range from cave dwelling savages to city builing centrally organized cultures. There is solid evidence that stone age cultures traded across thousands of miles. Also remember that a stone age technology will be sophisticated within the limits of its abilities. Otzi the ice-mummy (who was from the early copper age, granted, but stone still made up the bulk of tools as copper is kinda useless) had some very sophisticated gear, and had been treated by acupuncture.
As to classes, it depends on the culture you're trying to portray. If you're thinking of the stone axe weilding, cave dwelling sort then I'd say..
Barbarian, Fighter, Ranger, Druid, Shaman, Bard, Expert, Commoner. The fighter might be ahistorical but it would certainly be a required class in a DnD type world where you have multiple intelligent races conflicting.
As to classes, it depends on the culture you're trying to portray. If you're thinking of the stone axe weilding, cave dwelling sort then I'd say..
Barbarian, Fighter, Ranger, Druid, Shaman, Bard, Expert, Commoner. The fighter might be ahistorical but it would certainly be a required class in a DnD type world where you have multiple intelligent races conflicting.
Saeviomagy
Adventurer
Why would they be adventurers in a conventional game? Same stuff applies.scourger said:
The characters are outcast from their tribe for some crime. If you want an open campaign, there is no redemption (they violated a sacred area, or drank something prohibited, or something like that). If you want a directed campaign, then they find out that they have to go on a quest to gain redemption.
David Howery
Hero
I sort of used this scenario way back in 2E days in my GH campaign, at least as the background. Although it had been long forgotten by the world, the stone age was ruled over by a massively magical race of lizardoids called Samats who reduced all the humans, demi-humans, and humanoids to slavery. The Samats fell when human gods arose and changed magic so that it took written spells and studying to cast spells, but some of them preserved themselves in a state of stasis in deeply hidden tombs. Part of my campaign involved the PCs finding a few of these tombs and keep the Samats from being resurrected...Algolei said:
Tonguez
A suffusion of yellow
On the subject of Elfs you could set up like Earth during the last Ice Age - Europe is covered in ICe and home of Neanderthals (Dwarfs), Africa is grasslands and home to Homo Sapiens (Elfs). Elfs are more advanced socially because theie lifeatyle has been slightly easier (less harsh anyway) Humans sit somewhere in the middle - the scenario could look atwhat hapens when the Elfs move out of 'Africa' and into the North (and how do humans manage being caught in the middle?)
The concept of wandering adventurers might be rare in a stone age setting but not impossible (see a forementioned 'exiles') the other option is to tie them to a community and build adventurs around the community. eg
1. PC are sent to raid an enemy camp
2. Hunting parties have been going missing in the mountains - the PCs set out to find out why
3. Food supplies are being stolen - by who or what?
4. The chiefs daughter has been betrothed to a chief from another tribe - the PCs are her escorts
5. After years of drought the community must move - the PCs are sent ahead to find a new home
6. A disease sweeps through the community - the PCs are sent to find a cure
scourger said:
The concept of wandering adventurers might be rare in a stone age setting but not impossible (see a forementioned 'exiles') the other option is to tie them to a community and build adventurs around the community. eg
1. PC are sent to raid an enemy camp
2. Hunting parties have been going missing in the mountains - the PCs set out to find out why
3. Food supplies are being stolen - by who or what?
4. The chiefs daughter has been betrothed to a chief from another tribe - the PCs are her escorts
5. After years of drought the community must move - the PCs are sent ahead to find a new home
6. A disease sweeps through the community - the PCs are sent to find a cure
Dr. Strangemonkey
First Post
In some stone age cultures you could argue that everyone is a wandering adventurer.
The leadership rules would simply represent your ability to put together a succesful and sustainable hunter-gatherer band or two.
Were there to be a stone-age game it would be very neat to see rules for putting together and RPing out the history of your band or even tribe.
Sort of like Company or Army campaigning in Black Company only with a higher emphasis on survival in the basic sense.
It's also true that in a full on DnD stone age, heck even Bronze age, setting it's not so much nice as necessary that your community raises and sponsores a frekkin Gilgamesh style major hero.
The leadership rules would simply represent your ability to put together a succesful and sustainable hunter-gatherer band or two.
Were there to be a stone-age game it would be very neat to see rules for putting together and RPing out the history of your band or even tribe.
Sort of like Company or Army campaigning in Black Company only with a higher emphasis on survival in the basic sense.
It's also true that in a full on DnD stone age, heck even Bronze age, setting it's not so much nice as necessary that your community raises and sponsores a frekkin Gilgamesh style major hero.
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Particle_Man
Explorer
Funny, I was thinking of something like this.
I would suggest: commoners, warriors, experts (for regular tribesfolk), and barbarians, scouts (complete Adventurer), spirit shamans (complete divine) and warlocks (complete arcane) (for special tribesfolk, including pc heroes). No other classes.
Humans, half-elves, and half-orcs would be the only PC races. Elves would exist as NPC's not always friendly (wild elves, more CN, and with Warlock as Favored class). Fey would be a type of spirit folk. Warlock powers could come from fey or from demons. Orcs would exists as NPC's (although not as "Degraded elves" but as a race in their own right). And things would stand as a three-way battle between the tribes, with the orcs being dangerous all the time, and the elves being sometimes allys, sometimes treacherous foes. Note that wild elves and orcs both take hits in intelligence, giving the human tribe a bit of an edge there.
There should be some humanoids as well, but all would be in a primitive state. While there could be music, I am leery of the special powers of bards this early in a tribe's pre-history.
If you go greyhawk, you only need three gods: Kord, Corellon, and Grummsh. All chaotic.
Mind you, alignment might be less relevant in primitive times.
Or you could just play Dawnforge.
Anyhow, just my 2 cents, hope this helps.
I would suggest: commoners, warriors, experts (for regular tribesfolk), and barbarians, scouts (complete Adventurer), spirit shamans (complete divine) and warlocks (complete arcane) (for special tribesfolk, including pc heroes). No other classes.
Humans, half-elves, and half-orcs would be the only PC races. Elves would exist as NPC's not always friendly (wild elves, more CN, and with Warlock as Favored class). Fey would be a type of spirit folk. Warlock powers could come from fey or from demons. Orcs would exists as NPC's (although not as "Degraded elves" but as a race in their own right). And things would stand as a three-way battle between the tribes, with the orcs being dangerous all the time, and the elves being sometimes allys, sometimes treacherous foes. Note that wild elves and orcs both take hits in intelligence, giving the human tribe a bit of an edge there.
There should be some humanoids as well, but all would be in a primitive state. While there could be music, I am leery of the special powers of bards this early in a tribe's pre-history.
If you go greyhawk, you only need three gods: Kord, Corellon, and Grummsh. All chaotic.
Mind you, alignment might be less relevant in primitive times.
Or you could just play Dawnforge.
Anyhow, just my 2 cents, hope this helps.
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