What to do for Barbarian Lands?

[Dog Moon]

There's an island close to the mainland in my homebrewn setting. I've decided to put a barbarian lands-like area consisting of the entire island. Since I dislike Orcs and Half-Orcs, I was about to make them the inhabitants. Actually, I was going to rule that the Orc race itself was almost annihilated years back and they have not bred enough amongst themselves to keep the Orc line pure. They have breeded with humans, so most of the people on this island are Half-Orcs and the Orcs are the ruling 'class' among the barbarians. However, I'm not sure I like the idea of the island filled with Orcs and half-breeds. Also, I'm not sure what to do about the barbarian lands theme, if I should even go with it. Part of me thinks I should make this into a wild land, not jungle-type, but like dinosaur type and many nasty predators where the people on the island struggle daily to survive.

If anyone has suggestions on either type of people that should live on that island [And perhaps why that race] or other themes or ideas for this island, I would like to hear them.

 

[ThirdWizard]

Lizard-folk are a fun type. They're sort of strange and alien to the PCs without being too strange and alien. They can make a good tribal race, with barbarians and shamanic magic. They lend themselves well to being led by Dragons, of which adventures could lead up to battling.

Bugbears work as well for a barbaric race. Then you can use various goblinoids along with them. Bugbears are the big stupid goblinoids, so you can have them led by smarter, more devious, Hobgoblins or even ye olde Goblins.

Wild Elves! If you're looking for possible enemies, but who can be diplomacied with occasionally, you could use a tribe of very territorial wild elves. Perhaps there's a bigger threat in these lands, and they would start off as an enemy, but later the PCs would work with them.

And finally, one of my favorite monsterous races: the gnoll. You can't reson with them, you can't talk to them, they want to have you for lunch and even when they capture you with the intent of keeping you as a slave they're just as likely to make you a snack before they get back home. Ah, the gnoll.

 

[Telas]

Lizardmen (sorry, I'm an unreconstructed 1st Ed. gamer) can be tied to Kobolds and Dragons for a scaly good time.

IMC, Orcs, Ogres, and Ettins are all related. Interesting combination there, too.

How about a nocturnal race, like the Goblins, who only come out at night to hunt?

Of course, there's always the possibility of any of a number of odd Human cultures. Totemic Barbarians from Unearthed Arcana are one possibility. Or maybe a Mayan type of culture?

Telas

 

[Tonguez]

True Neutral bugbears with the brachiation feat as standard and no advanced technology (beyond using clubs and throwing stones at wild predators)

call them Mangani and have them be raising a young human orphan ...

 

[Inconsequenti-AL]

Perhaps there could be feral dwarves? They're the reason the orc society shattered. In the process they ruined their own civilisation... For an added twist, make them evil dwarves and have them as the agressors in that conflict. Duregar perhaps?

You could go for a dwarf/orc crossbreed race? Possibly the Mul from Darksun?

I've always been a fan of horse tribes, so I'd give one or more of the island tribes mounts. Horses are always good, but more interesting beasts can be fun.

 

[Hand of Evil]

gnomes or halflings - I know, don't sound like you everyday barbarians but think halflings from Dark Sun, yep cannibals! Dress them up in a tribe/tatoo get up, give them some exotic weapons (blow guns and BOOM-a-rangs (expoding)) and you have your barbarians.

Remember, garlic helps the taste of elves.

 

[Dog Moon]

Hmmm. The idea of halflings had come to mind previously. I definitely like the idea of people brachiating in the trees, though I've never been particularly fond of Bugbears. I'm leaning on the idea of several different tribes of Halflings which don't particularly hate the other tribes [So there aren't any real wars], but there are conflicts. I don't know how many tribes I want, but I'm thinking that the tribe which lives in the trees ride large monkeys or something [I don't suppose there's a Dire Monkey anywhere?]

In my world, there is a large tribe of Lizardfolk in a swamp. They united together because of a bigger threat: a nearby group of humans. So I won't use them. Dwarves in my campaign have already been brought down to one subrace, an evil warlike group who hates everyone but themselves, many of whom are slightly mentally unstable. They were defeated by the Goblins who in the past some-odd years have become intelligent and militant in nature, or else the Dwarves would have annihilated them. Perhaps some of the Dwarves arrived at the island and are carving out an existence for themselves, I'm not sure.

Any more ideas? Different ideas for tribes could be useful and thoughts on a general enemy for all the tribes would be nice as well.

 

[Telas]

I see, you've definitely tweaked the original setting a bit.

I'd throw something that would leave the adventurers wondering for a while. Something either blindingly fast or invisible or extremely well camoflaged. Something that will evoke the feeling in "Predator" or "Alien" that there's something really, really dangerous out there.

Treants angry at past wrongs? A flying, invisible race? Perhaps a weak spot between the Astral or Ethereal and Prime Material Planes? Or something underground? Maybe a combination of everything: an environment so harsh that even plants have active defenses.

Are they going with an large group of monster fodder... I mean NPCs? Perhaps as guards for an expedition?

Just some ideas....

Telas

 

[Hand of Evil]

Tribes of roaming halflings that migrate with a herd animal and or fruit harvest, each part of the island is tied to a season/domain and the tribes have to relocate do to conditions from the seasons (rain fall floods, summer heat, winter cold, autumn's harvest). This means a stagnate population, raids of other tribes has to take place for 'new blood' this could be raids for brides or raids of the taking of children. The best lands would go to the strongest butthey would be seen as the best targets for a raid.

Now lets throw some wild west into the mix - the round up: Once a year all the tribes come together to round up an animal of some type for food, maybe to make it through the winter.

 

[tensen]

You might want to consider picking up a copy of Lost Prehistorica for use in putting together the setting.