Savage Weapons

The lump term "savages" is being used here to refer to any number of different types of people. They have in common these traits: They're not as technologically advanced as the normal peoples of the campaign, though some do make weapons of bronze or iron; and they're probably hunter-gatherers who have not yet embraced the agricultural revolution. And that's really all they have to have in common. "Savages" might be highly cultured, artistic, peaceful peoples, but if they have dirt floors or flint-tipped weapons, the rest of the world calls them savage. For our purposes, "savages" encompasses Neanderthal man, Old Stone Age Cromagnon, and New Stone Age modern men.

Stereotypical savages know the following weapons: Blowgun (mostly jungle tribes), Long and Short bow (no composite bows), Club, Dagger, Hand/Throwing Axe, Javelin, Knife, Sling, and Spear.

Depending on their level of technological development, they may make their weapons (including arrowheads, spear-heads, etc.) out of iron, bronze, stone or even bone.

For our purposes, iron and bronze weapons have the same characteristics as steel weapons; it's not worth generating all-new weapon stats for the slight game-mechanic differences.

Stone and bone weapons, on the other hand, require their own statistics, which is why they're represented on the weapon chart at the top of the chapter.

Stone Weapons

Stone weapons are used just like their modern counterparts, but are worth less money, do less damage, and are more prone to shattering.

The damages and costs (should some ever be sold on the market) for these weapons are given on the chart above.

Stone weapons have a chance of breaking every time they hit and do damage. Every time a stone weapon successfully hits a target, the player must roll 1d6. Regardless of the roll, this attack does its full damage, but on a roll of 1 on the 1d6, the weapon or weapon-head shatters and is useless.

Bone Weapons

Bone weapons are likewise used like their modern counterparts, but are worth even less money, can only be used with smaller stabbing weapons (knives and daggers), and shatter even more readily—on a roll of 1 or 2 on 1d6.

Other Uses for Stone and Bone Weapons

Generally, no one in his right mind is going to trade in nice, modern steel weapons for bone or stone counterparts. But characters don't always have the choice.

Characters with the Savage warrior kit start out with the level of weapons the DM decides for him: "Modern," stone or bone. In a campaign where most savages are simply hunter-gatherers who live at a certain distance from the PCs' culture, but who trade and interact with them, modern weapons are fine. When the savage culture is far away and more technologically primitive, stone weapons are more appropriate. If the savages are supposed to be very primitive indeed, bone weapons are the proper choice. In all likelihood, these savage characters, reaching more advanced lands and seeing how much more damage more modern weapons will do, will make the switch. . . though they're likely to stick to the types of weapons they know best (spears, bows, daggers, etc.).

Remember, though, that the club is the same weapon regardless of technological advancement; the surliest caveman can make a club that has the weapon stats of the most modern baseball bat.

Also, player-characters might find themselves stripped of weapons and cast adrift in the wilderness. If they want weapons, they'll have to make them, possibly of stone or bone. For these purposes, too, the weapon stats above can be useful.

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