"Best "Caveman" Rules" Topic

What are the best rules for the prehistoric "caveman" period? (Including ahistorical options such as cavemen vs dinosaurs…)

If it's prehistoric, how can it be ahistorical?

A truly historical pre-historic rule set will have footnotes and annotations with first-hand and primary source references in the margins.

If it's prehistoric, how can it be ahistorical?

A-prehistorical? Pre-ahistorical? Grog head hurt now, Grog go lie down.

There's Caveman rules out there? Really? I never heard of any… Some dino rules in other games, but no Caveman & dinos only rules…

"Best" is very hard to quantify, especially since this is such a niche genre and personal tastes vary so much.

Since CC seems to be late to the party, I'll post the link for his Cave Wars Yahoo! group: link

We discuss lots of Caveman rules there, including rules for hunting and general survival, caveman vs. caveman, vs. megafauna, vs. dinosaurs, vs. aliens . . . Some of the available rulesets are Tusk, Sticks and Stones (the old Metagame and the new Jeff Valent rules), Steve Barber's Prehistoric Settlement, Tribe Against Tribe, Valley of the Mammoth, mods for various Warhammer rulesets, and some homegrown rulesets. I've also played caveman games using the old Melee metagame.

If you join the group, take a look at the Files and Links sections, then search through the Messages archives for more details.

Prehistoric Settlement definitely gets my vote – wonderful little system.

I recommend my own "Caveman" (available from RLBPS as a "free with --" item).

Bits of it are borrowed, with permission and promises of beer, from an earlier set called "A Konk on the Noggin" (Hey, Steve and Bob!)

Movement: the distance between your index and middle fingers. Running is a full hand span.

Throwing: Toss a crumpled ball of paper across the table at your opponent.

Melee: Paper-rock-scissors.

The only dice involved are two rocks smeared black on one side, red on the other.

What else did you want?

Steve Lawrence had a fun set of rules called "Conk on the Noggin".

Yes, those are the ones. I called Steve when I was scribbling mine up and asked him if it was okay to use his movement rules. He grunted assent.

No, actually he was very gracious.

I've heard that Prehistoric Settlement is more of an Age of Empires type game – quite a bit of gathering berries as well as clobbering each other with sticks.

My favorite has to be Prehistoric Settlement, too.
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But MJ's "Caveman" is a real hoot too.

I liked the old Metagames Sticks and Stones. The wooley mammoth hunt scenario could be expanded into anachronistic dino hunts if desired. The optional rules for fire were a nice tech upgrade touch.

I've been meaning to check out "Og", which I believe has been mentioned here on [TMP] before.

It's more RPG than miniatures game, but the idea of a limited vocabulary for the players strikes me as very clever and, ideally, quite funny. If/when I pick it up and give it a spin, I'll definitely share with [TMP].

Here's a link to the game: link

And a review on RPGnet: link

"No use big words play Og" A very cute, small RPG.

Do not forget Tusk – you can just use the caveman section and ignore the VSF parts.

Andrew
blog.kings-sleep.me.uk

(Including ahistorical options such as cavemen vs dinosaurs…)

Ahistorical?

Bite your tongue, how do you explain the "Flintstones"?

Come now. Fred Flintstone could write. That makes him historical.

Don't get me started on what I think Betty Rubble could do…

Waiting for Ganesha to put one out. :}

Tusk

Two Hour Wargames' Adventures in the Lost Lands.
link

I've gone looking for MJS's Caveman rules and can't find them now that RLBS no longer does the Dazed Miniatures.
Where are can they be found?

Ok…I finally joined the caveman yahoo group…Ug oga loo pooka mata grog!

link

Reviews on Adventures in the Lost Lands?

Ehere can I find Conk on the Noggin (Steve Lawrence)?

Thanks!