Whether caveman, hunter-gatherer, or neolithic, divinities can be followed from the dawn of time as proto-gods or especially potent spirits.
Tenets of Stone Age Gods & Spirits
- Survive how you can
- Support and protect your family, tribe, and clan
- Honor beasts, plants, and the land
- Never use (depending on which epoch the stone age cleric is from)...!
Caveman: metal, written words, bows, fabric, pottery, agriculture, dairy, herded beasts, wheels, buildings, mirrors, manners, pants, fire, soap, or other strange magic!
Hunter-Gatherer: metal, written words, fancy pottery, agriculture, dairy, wheels, permanent buildings, mirrors, pants, or other strange magic!
Neolithic: metal, written words, or other strange magic!
Each time they use such things, stone age clerics suffer a cumulative -1 penalty to all rolls for the next 1d6 hours from the sense that they are stealing their soul!
Stone Age Clerics
- Special: Stone Age gods & spirits are served by caveman clerics, hunter-gatherer clerics, and neolithic clerics. Each type has unique considerations.
- Allowed Weapons:
Caveman: club, stone-tipped spear, unpolished stone axe / adze, sling, stone dagger, small rock (1d3 damage), large rock (1d8 damage, requires two hands)
Hunter-Gatherer: 5 total types of caveman weapons and/or bow with stone-tipped arrows (hunter-gatherers can substitute bone for stone in all cases too, e.g. bone-tipped spear, unpolished bone axe, etc.)
Neolithic: 3 total types of caveman weapons and/or stone mace or polished stone axe
Note: stone or bone weapons suffer -1 to hit and do -1 damage to those wearing any armor or using a shield.
They also break when they hit with a 1 or less or do 1 damage or less in any case. - Allowed Armor:
Caveman: furs (treat as padded)
Hunter-Gatherer: furs or leather
Neolithic: leather or padded - Symbols: a primitively etched version of the divinity's symbol
- Can Turn: None (though that won't stop them from trying!)
- Mysteries of the Stone Age: Rather than having access to their divinity's usual mysteries, stone age clerics can do one of the following up to once per level per day. These can be quite powerful, making up somewhat for the drawbacks they might experience:
Caveman: Ignore 1d3 hit points of damage from an injury, since they are tough.
Hunter-Gatherer: Being excellent survivors, sense the direction to the nearest natural source of food or fresh water.
Neolithic: Can switch one of their prepared spells for another one that they know, which is determined at random, since they are the beginning of a priestly class.
Stone Age Magical Side-Effects
The oldest magic can be utilized in many ways, though most of them are simple. First, roll 1d12 on the following table. Then roll on the table further below to see what the stone age cleric must do based on what type of stone age magic he is using.
1. Doesn't work and must do! The stone age cleric must do something... Maybe it will make the magic work more good next time?
2-3. Must do or doesn't work! Unless the stone age cleric does something, the magic won't work. It also has a 50% chance of being lost if it doesn't work, so he should do it so it does work!
4-9. No Side-Effect: The spell works normally this time. Whew!
Still, if a 6 is rolled, then all within 120' have a 50% chance of being overcome with primitiveness, having to then save vs. spell/ make a Will save DC 15 or suffer a -1d6 penalty to all rolls that don't involve what the stone age cleric must do for the next 1d12 rounds. Others might find this strange, but the stone age cleric will find it to be perfectly normal.
10-11. Do and a little more good... If something is done, either the spell's effect, range, or duration can be improved by 50%. If not, then it just works normally, but why not do it??
12. Do and really good! As long as something is done, then the spell's effect, range, or duration can be doubled. The stone age cleric might decide not to do it, but then that wouldn't be really good.
Caveman Do's (roll 1d4)
1. Hit the nearest person or thing in a random direction, even bonking a potentially appropriate mate on the head so as to engage in proper courtship. That should please the spirits.
2. Yell at the nearest person or thing in a random direction, with a 25% chance of losing one's voice for 1d20 rounds too.
3. Dance in a manner ranging from avant-garde to crazy, suffering 1d10-1 damage by accidentally hurting oneself.
4. Sing, causing all within earshot a 25% chance of especially liking or hating it (equal chance of either). The spirits will even affect all the caveman's rolls by + or - 1d6 for the next 1d6 minutes depending on their evaluation of his performance.
For example, if a caveman cleric rolled 2 as a Stone Age Magical Side-Effect and then 2 on the Caveman Do's table, then he must yell at the nearest person or thing in a random direction or his spell wouldn't work and he'd have a 50% chance of losing it. He might even yell so hard that he loses his voice too.
Hunter-Gatherer Do's (roll 1d8)
1. Offer game or something edible that they've gathered.
2. Parlay with the local beast or nature spirits, making a Wisdom or Charisma check (DC 15).
3. Be dressed like one's patron spirit, whether a beast, ancestor, or plant.
4. Show a trophy taken of the latest game or foe they brought down.
4. Show a trophy taken of the latest game or foe they brought down.
5. Draw or have drawn a picture of what one wants the spell to do.
6. Act like a beast or nature spirit.
7. The location or weather fits the nature of the spell in a practical way, whether dangerous, nurturing, or elsewise.
8. Sing, dance, and/or drum.
For example, if a hunter-gatherer cleric rolled 6 as a Stone Age Magical Side-Effect and then 6 on the Hunter-Gatherer Do's table, then all within 120' have a 50% chance of having to save or suffer a -1d6 to all rolls that don't involve acting like beast or nature spirits for the next 1d12 rounds.
Neolithic Do's (roll 1d8)
1. Have spent time in their personal sanctum that day.
2. The celestial alignment corresponds to the spell (if not known, a 75% chance).
3. Be around or see a large stone or megalith, harnessing its spiritual power.
4. Are protecting one's land from attackers.
5. Be seen as a god-king, or at least paying homage to one.
6. Make an offering of grain or livestock to the spirits.
7. Are working to drive away rivals.
8. Have taken a mate within the last 4d6 hours.
For example, if a neolithic cleric rolled 11 as a Stone Age Magical Side-Effect and then 2 on the Neolithic Do's table, then the spell's effect, range, or duration can be improved by 50% if the stars are properly aligned. He would certainly hope that they are!
Next week: divine tests of the Stone Age in Part II!
RPG srd Stone Age Old School 1st ed AD&D
