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Sword & Sorcery Cultures for Dragonbane
These replace Kin in Sword & Sorcery worlds where all characters are more or less ‘human’. Adapted from the (great) Player’s Guide to the World of Xoth for 5e available at https://xoth.net/publishing/. Campaign blog page at https://simonyrpgs.blogspot.com/2023/03 ... nbane.html (S&S nsfw art)

Savage
«’Barbarism is the natural state of mankind,’ the borderer said, still staring somberly at the Cimmerian. ‘Civilization is unnatural. It is a whim of circumstance. And barbarism must always ultimately triumph.’»
— Robert E. Howard: Beyond the Black River
Savages include warriors from the frozen north and witch-doctors from the snake-infested jungles of the south.
Savages tend to have a close connection with nature, but remain ignorant of many developments that more civilized people take for granted.
How you view yourself: Life is a struggle, but you rely on your natural instincts and your own strength to survive. You are content with your place in nature. You are wary of technology and the false promises of civilization.
How others view you: Savages live in the wild, and are primitive and barbaric. Their lives are brutish and short. They can only progress if they learn to subjugate their instincts and become civilized.
Suggested Races: Djaka, Ikuna, Mazanian, Shoma, Tharag Thulan, Zorabi (uncommon)

Cultural Traits
Savages have the following cultural traits:
Sturdy: You add a +1 bonus to your Hit Points.
Feral: You gain a Boon on Awareness skill checks.
Superstitious: You suffer a Bane on Will checks to resist fear effects from supernatural creatures and sorcery.


Values (replaces Motivation/Weakness)
At the end of each session the GM may award Experience Checks for stereotypical acts such as:
1. Performing great feats of strength and athletics
2. Defeating a dangerous monster or hated foe in single combat
3. Acting quickly and instinctively instead of over-analyzing and discussing at length
4. Refusing to use technology (including armor and weapons and other items crafted by civilized cultures) and instead relying on your own strength and prowess.


Nomadic
«’Take your horse and go. It’s tied behind the tent, and food and water are in the saddle-bags. None will see your going, but go quickly. There’s no room for a fallen chief on the desert. If the warriors see you, maimed and deposed, they’ll never let you leave the camp alive.’»
— Robert E. Howard: A Witch Shall Be Born
Nomads roam the empty wastes beyond the civilized cities; quick to strike and bound by no laws. Nomads live with their animals and usually ride into battle with them; they feel ill at ease without them.
How you view yourself: You value your freedom to roam across the so-called «empty» spaces of the world. Your only responsibilities are to your clan and your animals, and perhaps the gods of earth and sky.
How others view you: Nomads are lawless and untrustworthy; they live by raiding and stealing rather than doing honorable work themselves.
Suggested Races: Jairanian, Khazistani (rare), Khazrajite, Khoran (uncommon), Shoma, Taikangian (uncommon), Tharag Thulan (uncommon), Zorabi

Cultural Traits
Nomads have the following cultural traits:
Proud: Gain a Boon on Will checks to resist influence, including fear.
Adaptive: You have the Adaptive Human Kin ability.
Bowlegged: Your Base land walking speed is 8 meters.

Values (replaces Motivation/Weakness)
At the end of each session the GM may award Experience Checks for stereotypical acts such as:
Sleeping in a tent outside the city walls because you would feel trapped inside a noisy tavern
Discovering new and strange places, and leaving your mark there
Scouting ahead of the party in the wilderness
Refusing to stay in the same place for too long
Ignoring laws that deal with the concept of private property
Offering strangers food and shelter if they ask for it, even if their goals oppose your own.




Civilized
«The Cimmerian glared about, embarrassed at the roar of mocking laughter that greeted this remark. He saw no particular humor in it, and was too new to civilization to understand its discourtesies. Civilized men are more discourteous than savages because they know they can be impolite without having their skulls split, as a general thing.»
— Robert E. Howard: The Tower of the Elephant
Savages and nomads eventually gather together to cultivate the land, build great cities, develop trade, and study medicine, mathematics and languages. In the civilized lands dwell noble knights, wise kings, and learned sages — as well as greedy merchants and cunning thieves.
How you view yourself: You are a citizen of a small settlement or a great city, and you have your place within the social hierarchy. You are proud of the accumulated wealth and knowledge of your culture, even if it is not always evenly distributed.
How others view you: Civilized man never really lives because he is always torturing the life out of himself to clutch at wealth and honors which, even if he wins them, will prove to be but glittering illusions. For science and the arts are but the parents of corruption.
Suggested Races: Azimban, Bhangari, Djaka (uncommon), Ghazorite, Jairanian, Khazistani, Khoran, Lamuran, Mazanian (rare), Nabastissean, Shoma, Susrahnite, Taikangian, Taraamite, Tharag Thulan (rare), Yar-Ammonite, Zadjite (uncommon)

Cultural Traits
Civilized people have the following cultural traits:
Educated: Gain one extra trained skill of your choice.
Adaptive: You have the Adaptive Human Kin ability.
Frail: You suffer a Bane on Bushcraft checks to successfully rest in the wilderness. This does not apply when rolling to erect a tent.

Values (replaces Motivation/Weakness)
At the end of each session the GM may award Experience Checks for stereotypical acts such as:
Obeying the local authorities, regardless of their strange or unjust laws
Clearing the wilderness in order to build a fortress or found a settlement
Spending money to impress your peers or superiors
Exercising self-restraint and following etiquette
Producing detailed written records of your activities



Enlightened
«Then came Yara, versed in dark knowledge handed down through the days of barbarism, since before Atlantis sank. First he sat at my feet and learned wisdom. But he was not satisfied with what I taught him, for it was white magic, and he wished evil lore, to enslave kings and glut a fiendish ambition.»
— Robert E. Howard: The Tower of the Elephant
A few great civilizations rise above others and gain half-mythical status. Learned beyond normal men, people of enlightened cultures are builders of cyclopean pyramids and towers that pierce the skies. Their magnificent buildings can last forever, and likewise the flesh of the enlightened ones can withstand the passage of time like no other mortals.
How you view yourself: You are a scion of the ancients, and you carry the accumulated wisdom of countless generations. The mundane activities of others do not concern you, for only you are destined for greatness.
How others view you: The so-called enlightened ones care only for themselves and their own mysterious goals. It is best to shun them — or to exile them.
Suggested Races: Bhangari (uncommon), Ikuna (rare), Susrahnite (uncommon), Taikangian, Yar-Ammonite

Cultural Traits
Enlightened people have the following cultural traits:
Uncanny: When you roll a Demon on a d20 roll, you can reroll the die, and must use the new roll.
Long-lived: Enlightened player characters (and NPCs with at least one Heroic Ability, or spellcasting) gain longevity, and only become Old at 200 years, with a Maximum Age of 300 + 3d100 years.
Cyclopean: Whenever you make an Intelligence check related to the origin of stonework, you use your INT score rather than a Skill (if lower) and you gain a Boon on the check.
Conceited: Too confident in your own abilities, you often underestimate your enemies. The first time you enter combat after a Shift rest, you must draw two Initiative cards, and use the higher numbered card.

Values (replaces Motivation/Weakness)
At the end of each session the GM may award Experience Checks for stereotypical acts such as:
Spending money on occult and esoteric research
Suffering physical hardships to gain new knowledge and insights
Ignoring the suffering of others, including your companions, in pursuit of personal development
Touching and triggering arcane traps due to intellectual curiosity
• Summoning or freeing demons and other alien beings to study or learn from them.

 

Decadent
«Much of the time these people lie in sleep. Their dream-life is as important — and to them as real — as their waking life. You have heard of the black lotus? In certain pits of the city it grows. Through the ages they have cultivated it, until, instead of death, its juice induces dreams, gorgeous and fantastic. In these dreams they spend most of their time. Their lives are vague, erratic, and without plan. They dream, they wake, drink, love, eat and dream again. They seldom finish anything they begin, but leave it half completed and sink back again into the slumber of the black lotus.»
— Robert E. Howard: The Slithering Shadow
Great civilizations reach their peak and eventually start to decline. Such fallen empires are ruled by jaded nobles, corrupt priests and wicked slave-traders. Demon-worship, human sacrifice and drug abuse is all too common in these cultures.
How you view yourself: Why not enjoy all that life has to offer? Let others discuss lofty, high-minded ideals — you are more concerned about the here and now, and you have to look out for yourself because no one else will.
How others view you: Decadents are soft and have forgotten how to fight. Their rich treasures shall be ours, and they will be powerless to prevent it. By iron and fire we shall purge their wicked ways from the earth.
Suggested Races: Azimban (uncommon), Bhangari, Djaka (rare), Ghazorite, Jairanian (uncommon), Khazistani (rare), Khoran, Lamuran, Nabastissean (uncommon), Susrahnite, Taikangian, Taraamite, Yar-Ammonite, Zadjite

Cultural Traits
Decadent people have the following cultural traits:
Insidious: Gain a Boon on Deception and Stealth skill checks, and an additional +1d6 to sneak attack damage when making a sneak attack.
Jaded: Gain a Boon on CON rolls to resist poison.
Corrupt: Suffer a Bane on Will checks to resist influence, including seduction and fear.

Values (replaces Motivation/Weakness)
At the end of each session the GM may award Experience Checks for stereotypical acts such as:
Spending money on alcohol and drugs, and using it to gain the benefits of rest
Avoiding labor, and keeping servants and slaves to do your work
Inventing new and novel ways of entertainment to escape the boredom of mundane existence
Overcoming enemies by the use of trickery and lies
Using cults as a tool for personal power
Entering pacts with demons and other alien beings for personal benefits.




Degenerate
«To the southwest dwell scattered clans of degraded, cave-dwelling savages, whose speech is of the most primitive form, yet who still retain the name of Picts, which has come to mean merely a term designating men — themselves, to distinguish them from the true beasts with which they contend for life and food.»
— Robert E. Howard: The Hyborian Age
The last survivors of decadent civilizations start to feud over dwindling resources, or are driven away by stronger cultures. Fleeing into the wilderness, or deep underground beneath their ruins, they start to inbreed and devolve into something no longer entirely human. Degenerates may outwardly resemble savages, but they carry the evil taint of fallen empires.
When the last such taint disappears, the culture has become savage, and thus the cycle of history repeats itself.
How you view yourself: You dimly remember tales of the greatness of your ancestors, but all you have time to care about now is survival. Perhaps some day you will be strong enough to avenge your forebears.
How others view you: Let the fate of the degenerates be a warning to all — do not allow yourself to become soft and corrupted and defeated, ultimately losing your very humanity.
Suggested Races: Djaka (uncommon), Ikuna, Khoran (rare), Lamuran (uncommon)

Cultural Traits
Degenerates have the following cultural traits:
Nocturnal: You can see in dim light as if it were bright light, and you gain a Boon to Awareness checks made in dim light or darkness.
Ferocious: When you roll a Dragon with a melee weapon attack, you can roll one of the weapon’s damage dice one additional time and add it to the damage.
Unwholesome: Degenerates always have a physical deformity or a mental illness, caused by inbreeding, that sets them apart from other humans. This unwholesomeness can never be fully concealed. You, and anyone you associate with, suffer a Bane on Deception and Persuasion checks (except when interacting with other degenerates), and the initial attitude of persons from other cultures will always be suspicious or hostile.

Values (replaces Motivation/Weakness)
At the end of each session the GM may award Experience Checks for stereotypical acts such as:
Defeating a superior foe via stealth or ambush
Gaining followers through strength and intimidation
Getting a larger share of loot than your companions
Destroying the remains of high civilizations (including treasure and relics).

I love these. But I was sold already when I ran into my favourite Howard quote.

I love these. But I was sold already when I ran into my favourite Howard quote.

Thanks! Xoth (Morten Braten) did most of the work of course, but I found they adapted to Dragonbane really well. I ran a session last Saturday and we had a great time!

Session 1 18/3/23: Jir-El, Severos and Coran rescue Princess Alana from demon sacrifice by the fire sorcerer Altrak in the Night-Black Pits. Kromdar of Thule dies of his wounds, and is mourned by the princess. Kills: 3 wolves, 1 giant spider, 4 cultists (+1 flees), 1 fire sorcerer. Account by Severos the Executioner https://simonyrpgs.blogspot.com/2023/03 ... %20Severos

"Severos the Executioner", not at all inspired by the Severian the Torturer, who was sent to Thrax to take up work as an executioner?

"Severos the Executioner", not at all inspired by the Severian the Torturer, who was sent to Thrax to take up work as an executioner?

The eagle-eyed may also notice that other character named Coran the Kimmeran

"Severos the Executioner", not at all inspired by the Severian the Torturer, who was sent to Thrax to take up work as an executioner?

Very much inspired, naturally!

"Severos the Executioner", not at all inspired by the Severian the Torturer, who was sent to Thrax to take up work as an executioner?

The eagle-eyed may also notice that other character named Coran the Kimmeran

That of course is a completely OC.

The funny thing is, I actually named Jir-El after 'Jar-El the Razoress' of Glorantha's Lunar Empire, completely forgetting Jirel of Joiry! https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/941 ... l_of_Joiry