Post/Author/DateTime	Post
#1 Alficles Apr 14, 2015 13:03:49	I'm looking at starting a play-by-post campain with a mesolithic (early man) feel. Obviously, actually playing as hunter-gatherers is not quite as adventuous as one might wish, but I think that with a few adjustments (like the addition of armour), it could be a lot of fun.   Mists of Ir Ir (iɹ) is a primitive place, devoid of most of the trappings of what makes modern man “modern”. There are no complex mechanics, no wrought iron or steel, no sprawling cities. Society is primitive and spiritual.   Most people in Ir live in small communities. A small community, a clan, might be only two or three families, though a large one might have as many as twenty. Most families live together in a simple dwelling or series of dwellings, often dug into the ground or made from trees and brush. Larger or more fortunate communities often have access to natural caves.   Likewise, they have access to simple tools and weapons, primarily of stone, bone, and wood. They are not stupid, by any means, but they simply have not discovered how to refine metals from the ground. The skills and knowledge available to a clan vary from clan to clan. Every community prizes its most skilled, as they can teach their craft to the next generation and ensure the clan’s continued survival.   Ir is also a land of magic. For the most part, however, magic is reserved to the land and its beasts. There are fire-breathing lizards and invisible cats, but very few people have the skill or strength to manipulate it personally.   Metagame Notes The setting of Ir is designed to remind one of life near the end of the mesolithic. Or, at least, what life might have been like if the world was a deeply magical and very dangerous place.   Still, not everything is strictly mesolithic. Although there is no refined metal, other technology options are fairly optimistic. Carts, while not common, do exist. Likewise, some clans harvest domesticated wheat and rice, though on a relatively small scale. Weapons and armour exist in a relatively large variety, even though evidence suggests that armour is, at the earliest, a Bronze Age development.   The goal of the setting is to use the standard 5e options, as much as is possible, and only thinly skin them to match a mesolithic setting. So, although non-metal armour would certainly have lower ACs in a world with metal armour, this is not such a world. Otherwise, we risk seriously disadvantaging classes that depend on heavy armour, for example. If metal is discovered to exist (for example, forged by secret magic in the depths), it can be easily modeled as a +1 or more magic weapon/armour.   The full setting, so far, is here. Give it a look and see if you see any serious issues I should take care of. I'd like to rely on Wizard's game balance as much as possible. The goal is to reskin things, not design a whole new game.     Link
#2 cowleymen Apr 14, 2015 17:39:05	Awesome sauce. Are you taking players on? ive never done roll20 but if thats what you end up doing I would love to be part of it    ITs pretty easy to turn plate into simply bone plates held together with straps made from leather or the same material of bow strings (which are really strong).  Scale and cahin can be specific monster/creature skins, that just take longer to cure then regular cow(Or other equivalent animal) leather armors.    Jaw bones of large creatures make great weapons, as do teeth, ribs, and talons. Axe beaks could be killed for their beaks, used as axe heads.
(Reply to #2) Alficles	cowleymen wrote:
#4 BRJN Apr 17, 2015 18:38:08	You can get heavy armor by using natural resources - animal chestbones, lobster shells, &c - instead of metal.  Look up a Dark Sun Campaign Setting for examples. There is / was also a 2e Campaign Guide for Neanderthals and other extremely-primitive peoples, which may be a font of inspiration to you. Of course, IRL books on Anthropology, Archeology, pre-History and Fossil Animals would come in useful.  Anything you can find about Stone Age toolkits, too. The 4e Primal Power rulebook may help you give in-world explanations for Magic and the Spirits.   BTW, you are treading in a long tradition for D&D.  The 1980-era Basic Rules included Neanderthal Cavemen, Sabre-Toothed Tigers, and Mastodons as NPC encounters.  This sounds like fun !