Running Games

Fire

Fire is both a source of fear and admiration. Few know how to control it.

Early humans didn’t invent fire, they found it from lightning strikes or wildfires. At first, they just kept it alive, carrying embers from place to place, while constantly feeding it.

It is suggested that player characters do not begin with the knowledge of how to start fire. They may carry a burning branch, or find a wild flame, but the secret of fire must be learned.

Let someone teach it to them: a wise elder or a strange hermit with burn marks. Once they know, fire becomes a tool, but still fickle. Wet wood won’t burn. Wind kills weak sparks. Smoke attracts Man-eaters and jealous Rivals.

Communication

Player characters can only speak in three-word sentences. This rule is might not be suitable for every play group, so feel free to ignore it. This game is yours, play it how you see fit.

But if you lean into it, it can become a game of its own. Present players with problems that require cooperation. Watch them struggle to plan or warn with primitive sentences.

A fire is spreading, a friend is trapped, or defusing an argument with a stranger. How to cross a ravine with a makeshift bridge? See what they say with only three words.

Primitive Minds

Prehistoric humans weren’t scholars, but they were resourceful and inventive. They tamed both fire and wolves. They might be dim, but don’t treat them like bumbling fools who bonk their spouses and drag them back to the cave. It’ll grow old quick.

Luck

When something comes down to luck, roll a d6. High is good for the players, low is bad. The referee decide what the roll means.

Turns

A turn is the abstract amount of time it takes to move and perform one action. Minor actions, like picking up an item, can replace movement.

Herds & Groups

Large groups acting together are treated as a single unit. When a unit takes heavy losses (for example, losing half its HP), it will change tactics or disperse.

When it has no STR left, it is destroyed.

Environmental Hazards

The world is full of hungry mouths, but even the land itself wishes you dead. These hazards can do more than deal damage. They create problems to solve. Use them to force hard decisions or make a new friend by saving them.

• Tar Pits: Sticky, black, and full of bones. Successful DEX Save to come unstuck.
• Quicksand: Looks safe, but sinks you slow. Successful DEX Save to come unstuck.
• Falling Rocks: From cliff ledges or cave ceilings. Triggered by noise, bad actors, or just plain bad luck. DEX Save or suffer d4 to d12 damage depending on the rock’s size.
• Primitive Trap: Looks solid, but collapses into a nasty pit of bones. DEX Save or suffer d6 DEX damage.
• Wildfire: Wind-blown and fast. Smoke chokes. Fire surrounds. Everyone panics!
• Sudden Flood: Heavy rain or upstream trouble turns a safe area into drowning hell.
• Predator Lair: Smells like meat and piss. If you smell it, you’re already too close.

Survival

Rations & Water

1 ration can feed one person per day. But what if they go without?

After one day without water, a character loses 1d6 STR per day. After three days without food, the same applies.

Water can be found by licking cave walls, eating roots or frogs, digging near green plants, standing in the rain. The player characters might be dumb, but they know how to survive.

As a rule of thumb, an animal yields rations equal to its Hit Points when killed.

Rotten meat or dirty water requires a Save. Fail, and they get sick. No healing that day.

Survival should always feel close. Hunger should always be near.

Shelter

Shelter doesn’t have to be built. Thick bushes, a leaning boulder, or any natural cover will do. If it keeps PCs out of the elements and away from watching eyes, it counts.

Growing Big and Strong!

The life of a prehistoric human is brutal, and often short. Survival is hard fought. There are no skills in this game. The only way to get better is to live long enough to learn.

When a character does something big, like surviving a brutal adventure, mastering fire, or slaying a giant beast, they gain experience.

When that happens:

• Add 1d3 HP.
• Roll 1d20 for each Ability Score. If the roll is higher than the score, increase it by 1.

Exploration

Overland

When players travel across the wild, make them track rations. It adds pressure, hunger creeps in fast. Water matters too, but be lenient. It’s often available in rivers, caves, or from plants. Treat it as a concern, not an overbearing obstacle. Rations, on the other hand, run out quick. Let players hunt, scavenge, or fight to survive.

When resolving an encounter in the wild, roll for distance and, if applicable, reaction.

Caves

Caves are dark. Players need light. Without it, they are prone to unwelcome surprises. Tracking torches can be a hassle, so keep it simple. If the group has fire and time, they can make more. If not, the dark soon closes in.

Sometimes, the cave helps. Bioluminescent fungi glow. Narrow cracks providing faint light. These light sources are weak and unreliable but just enough to move by.

Meeting Other Living Things

There are no to-hit rolls in this game. When a great beast attacks, it will hit. This makes facing a large beast a terrifying prospect. Make sure the players understand that taking down a big beast requires preparation and cunning.

Most creatures in this game are animals. They don’t want revenge or treasure. They want to survive or protect what’s theirs. They flee when hurt. They hunt when hungry.

The outliers are people. Rivals might be suspicious, curious, or afraid. They grunt and gesture, they might trade or attack.

The Man-Eaters are different. Though plagued with human desires and petty grievances, they are feral. No talk, all teeth.