My cave DND game continued. The tribe reached the tundra and granny had made them swear to find a cave for what might be her last winter. At sixteen the tribe felt like a extended family. So heroes set out to explore the region.
Granny cried out about troll beast coming from the north with huge teeth and a hairy tentacle in their face. No not troll beasts or Nyarlathotep but wooly mammoths. Trieb watched them and kept away and hypothesized trapping them but seeing beasts trumpet to each other made them wary. The chief hunter saw strangers and ran home to send heroes to negotiate being on this land.
Dallas playing a stone axe and spear-wielding warrior
Matt playing a halfling baker with rogue gardener sidekick
Richard playing a pine elf trickster who had some fight back home when a pet was killed
So halfling made a basket filled with herbs and flowers and grain cakes and party went forth. Halfling and the elf had the best chance of making friends. The strangers in mammoth hide made some threatening gestures but party left gifts including a cowrie shell necklace. Strangers investigated and talked and accepted as a gift to stay for a moon plus they were to avoid upsetting holy mammoth herds. Heard of other tribes and agreed there would be a new meeting where tribe leaders would meet the party to negotiate a longer stay. Snake, Hyena and Orc tribes were enemies and unwelcome in the land and strangers killing these enemies would be more welcome.
So spent days scrabbling for food without a lot of success but did find a cave with some smelly hooved humanoids. They headed home to find goatmen tracking them so the elf hid and let them pass, then the halfling and his human hid and finally as the goat folk reached the warrior they were in a three direction ambush. One goat warrior was charmed by elf who kept it charmed a few days before making it a follower reluctantly because it proved a competent warrior and helper. If you treat a charmed being better than it's own kind then they might become a loyal follower.
So everyone moved into the goat cave and party discussed what laws and customs they should develop as they were a mongrel tribe from different peoples and other peoples will frown at them for lacking culture, totems and even a name. So they were the South Tribe as they came from the lost flooded southland over the sea. First law they all agreed on was no cannibalism that all accepted. Then after the spell with shape-shifting gnomes who lived with their dogs a bit too closely so debated banning that. Then debated if it should just be private then someone suggested only certain sex positions should be allowed and eventually gave up before making law number 2.
Discovered a ruined village with stone circle foundations and some rubble-filled stone-lined pits. One had a dirty squarish hole so lowered down the halfling with a stone handlamp of animal fat. Saw was cramped and dirty with a few thin odd bones. Wiped out a warren of degenerate snakeling folk (halfling version of serpent folk, degenerate albino cave folk). Took a bunch of eggs and found a assault hexagonal pillar with reptilian writing which the elf knew. Spoke of fall of the snake kingdoms and a valley nearby that was a hidden holy place for reptiles. Found a green stone pyramid idol in rubble that tended to grow psychedelic alien mould and can cast command 6 times can be recharged with a priest praying for a week.
Went home to discuss with tribe and ate eggs. Next day found someone had tracked the heroes from the snake tunnels wearing leather mochasins. So they tracked them back to the stone village and then followed into the hills a followed a band of snake tribals clean-shaven wearing only lizard skin loincloths with spears and darts and caste makeup. They went into a narrow canyon and saw motion on top as snake tribe went into canyon. So waited till dark and warrior climbed cliff and was attacked by two snake tribe men he defeated. One tried to jump over narrow canyon while those on other side hurled spears, but the warrior slammed the coward. The warrior now in a frenzy lept over the gulf and killed all the guards on that side. Looted a 4 floor rope ladder!
Spent a day into the canyon and climbed up the cliff at night to camp in secret. A giant eagle tried to snatch the halfling and missed by one and got away unharmed. Next day found jungle valley with a huge river, unnaturally tropical in the mountains. Followed cliff and mountains of south to avoid jungle dinosaurs and megafauna. Did find a weird cave where animals came to be healed and the warrior thought killing these animals here would be wrong. Continued till they reached the river, a hundred yards across. Several dog paddled badly but reached shore about a hundred and fifty yards downstream more than they planned. Elf had to send his goat man to rescue thay halfling, they party running along the shore to keep up. A wily plesiosaur attacked and the goat man at great personal risk saved the halfling. Alf shot the beast in the back with arrows and the warrior hurled a critical spear in the monster's mouth. As they rested saw on hills above them on this shore were some great stones and something in trees up there watching. The elf saw apes of several sizes in the jungle.
So they didn't want to go near the apes especially as a warrior had a fursuit onesie made from a flayed white ape they might not like. So went downstream to a huge waterfall that fell into a cavern. Snake symbols were in rocks everywhere including a picture of a hydra. Moved on following the north cliff face till they found a crystal cave where the halfling button mashed a crystal control altar like the ones in the city of the old ones they had seen and revived six reptilians in strange vestments with weird bows (crossbows). The elf was confused by having only seen shortbows which impressed humans.
Granny cried out about troll beast coming from the north with huge teeth and a hairy tentacle in their face. No not troll beasts or Nyarlathotep but wooly mammoths. Trieb watched them and kept away and hypothesized trapping them but seeing beasts trumpet to each other made them wary. The chief hunter saw strangers and ran home to send heroes to negotiate being on this land.
Dallas playing a stone axe and spear-wielding warrior
Matt playing a halfling baker with rogue gardener sidekick
Richard playing a pine elf trickster who had some fight back home when a pet was killed
So halfling made a basket filled with herbs and flowers and grain cakes and party went forth. Halfling and the elf had the best chance of making friends. The strangers in mammoth hide made some threatening gestures but party left gifts including a cowrie shell necklace. Strangers investigated and talked and accepted as a gift to stay for a moon plus they were to avoid upsetting holy mammoth herds. Heard of other tribes and agreed there would be a new meeting where tribe leaders would meet the party to negotiate a longer stay. Snake, Hyena and Orc tribes were enemies and unwelcome in the land and strangers killing these enemies would be more welcome.
So spent days scrabbling for food without a lot of success but did find a cave with some smelly hooved humanoids. They headed home to find goatmen tracking them so the elf hid and let them pass, then the halfling and his human hid and finally as the goat folk reached the warrior they were in a three direction ambush. One goat warrior was charmed by elf who kept it charmed a few days before making it a follower reluctantly because it proved a competent warrior and helper. If you treat a charmed being better than it's own kind then they might become a loyal follower.
So everyone moved into the goat cave and party discussed what laws and customs they should develop as they were a mongrel tribe from different peoples and other peoples will frown at them for lacking culture, totems and even a name. So they were the South Tribe as they came from the lost flooded southland over the sea. First law they all agreed on was no cannibalism that all accepted. Then after the spell with shape-shifting gnomes who lived with their dogs a bit too closely so debated banning that. Then debated if it should just be private then someone suggested only certain sex positions should be allowed and eventually gave up before making law number 2.
Discovered a ruined village with stone circle foundations and some rubble-filled stone-lined pits. One had a dirty squarish hole so lowered down the halfling with a stone handlamp of animal fat. Saw was cramped and dirty with a few thin odd bones. Wiped out a warren of degenerate snakeling folk (halfling version of serpent folk, degenerate albino cave folk). Took a bunch of eggs and found a assault hexagonal pillar with reptilian writing which the elf knew. Spoke of fall of the snake kingdoms and a valley nearby that was a hidden holy place for reptiles. Found a green stone pyramid idol in rubble that tended to grow psychedelic alien mould and can cast command 6 times can be recharged with a priest praying for a week.
Went home to discuss with tribe and ate eggs. Next day found someone had tracked the heroes from the snake tunnels wearing leather mochasins. So they tracked them back to the stone village and then followed into the hills a followed a band of snake tribals clean-shaven wearing only lizard skin loincloths with spears and darts and caste makeup. They went into a narrow canyon and saw motion on top as snake tribe went into canyon. So waited till dark and warrior climbed cliff and was attacked by two snake tribe men he defeated. One tried to jump over narrow canyon while those on other side hurled spears, but the warrior slammed the coward. The warrior now in a frenzy lept over the gulf and killed all the guards on that side. Looted a 4 floor rope ladder!
Spent a day into the canyon and climbed up the cliff at night to camp in secret. A giant eagle tried to snatch the halfling and missed by one and got away unharmed. Next day found jungle valley with a huge river, unnaturally tropical in the mountains. Followed cliff and mountains of south to avoid jungle dinosaurs and megafauna. Did find a weird cave where animals came to be healed and the warrior thought killing these animals here would be wrong. Continued till they reached the river, a hundred yards across. Several dog paddled badly but reached shore about a hundred and fifty yards downstream more than they planned. Elf had to send his goat man to rescue thay halfling, they party running along the shore to keep up. A wily plesiosaur attacked and the goat man at great personal risk saved the halfling. Alf shot the beast in the back with arrows and the warrior hurled a critical spear in the monster's mouth. As they rested saw on hills above them on this shore were some great stones and something in trees up there watching. The elf saw apes of several sizes in the jungle.
So they didn't want to go near the apes especially as a warrior had a fursuit onesie made from a flayed white ape they might not like. So went downstream to a huge waterfall that fell into a cavern. Snake symbols were in rocks everywhere including a picture of a hydra. Moved on following the north cliff face till they found a crystal cave where the halfling button mashed a crystal control altar like the ones in the city of the old ones they had seen and revived six reptilians in strange vestments with weird bows (crossbows). The elf was confused by having only seen shortbows which impressed humans.
The elf communicated with reptilian script in charcoal and they went outside to talk with stick writing in sand. Most of party puzzled about this squiggling in the sand for an hour. The reptilians explained they cared for the environment of the valley. They spoke of human snake tribe pilgrims who visited to give reptilians gifts. They bid humans leave and not steel any crystals. The party left tucking in their stolen crystal chunks towards the reptile monastery and where the snake tribe pilgrims camped.
We stopped there as a good spot...
Party all speculating on skills to learn to enrich the tribe with food and technology.
Discussions over tribal identity, laws and fitting in with local tribes amusing.
Seem to be ok helping reptiles purge valley of snake tribe humans, white apes and evil wizard spiders
Lots of my COC players not responding to post-plague gatherings still despite everything opening again bit by bit now so a 3 year campaign on hold still. My other dnd game probably dead. No new cases in weeks near me so all good.
Sorry if this is addressed elsewhere, but I assume you are using all your d100 tables etc to run this caveman game. How do you integrate your d100 charts into the at-the-table experience? I have used your materials with great success in two play-by-text games, which works GREAT with your stuff since the player isn't sitting there waiting while I roll dice and stitch the results together. But I struggle with idea of doing same face-to-face.
ReplyDeletei mostly use on the fly at table even get players to roll numbers. Sometimes like with faction or terrain type stuff i often work out in advance. Quite a few solo gamers use my stuff too - ive done it a bit.
Deletei always used to like challenge of making ideas quicklyfor stories. As kid i would look through picture books and invent my own narrative for the picks in order. Possibly a book of amazing stories covers were my fave to do this with
DeleteIt definitely more fun as DM to use your lists - then DM gets the fun of the unexpected as well!
DeleteOne of the high points have been three barbarian retainers from your barbarians of elder wastes insisting on throwing prisoners into anything resembling pit!
Awesome sauce!
DeleteCheers i love hearing stuff like this