With the alternative sorts of campaigns making their appearance, has anyone heard of a Native American campaign setting?
Totems of the Dead is a really good setting for Savage Worlds based on what's essentially a mythical version of North America before the Europeans started taking over. There's lots of fantastical elements in it -- such as the presence of Atlantean refugees and Amazons in the far south -- but it really wouldn't be too hard to ignore those and run it as a more realistic setting.
The only other game specifically focused on Native Americans I can think of would be How We Came to Live Here, though I can't say that I know much about it.
Purely NA theme or Wild West theme?
From the perspective of who? PCs are part of the culture? PCs are fishes out of water?
Quote from: Brand55;926792Totems of the Dead is a really good setting for Savage Worlds based on what's essentially a mythical version of North America before the Europeans started taking over. There's lots of fantastical elements in it -- such as the presence of Atlantean refugees and Amazons in the far south -- but it really wouldn't be too hard to ignore those and run it as a more realistic setting.
The only other game specifically focused on Native Americans I can think of would be How We Came to Live Here, though I can't say that I know much about it.
In addition to these, there is Maztica, a D&D fantasy world inspired by Central American myth and history. Along with How We Came to Live Here is also another small indie game, Ganakagok. GURPS has a good book of GURPS Aztecs for adventures in that empire.
Deadlands, Shadowrun, and Northern Crown have Native American elements in the setting, though they are not the focus. (I wouldn't count Torg's domains in America as being at all Native American.)
Pathfinder has a new world analogue called Arcadia but there's not much information about it.
http://pathfinderwiki.com/wiki/Arcadia
Quote from: Lynn;926790With the alternative sorts of campaigns making their appearance, has anyone heard of a Native American campaign setting?
Yes, I had written some
Fudge rules around 2003 for an Age of Reason / Native American LBB style RPG that I created. I played a few games of that, and hosted
Patriot at a couple of conventions from 2004-2007. The most popular thing that still sees a lot of demand is a 17"x22" 5-mile to the hex map of the Middle Atlantic Colonies from Virginia up to Massachusetts, and I have a new map in the works now (This year) for it (a Work-In-Progress) of Massachusetts, Maine, and New Hampshire.
Here are a couple reference photos of the maps. When I get home from work later this evening, I'll unload additional images of some of the artwork that I had commissioned for that, as well as sneak preview of the rules. Of course Fate would probably be better than Fudge, but it is easily adaptable in it's current form for any experienced Fate GM.
Patriot RPG Maps - Maine, Massachusetts & New Hampshire (WIP)
https://imgur.com/a/8OQV0
Virginia to Massachusetts - 17"x22"
http://imgur.com/a/RuJjg
There is a new set of war game skirmish rules and accompanying miniatures range based on pre-European contact North East Woodland Cultures, especially the Huron/Iroquois Confederacy war. http://pulpfigures.com/huron_iroquois_war/
Quote from: Omega;926797Purely NA theme or Wild West theme?
Could be either but primarily talking about NA only.
Quote from: GameDaddy;926886Yes, I had written some Fudge rules around 2003 for an Age of Reason / Native American LBB style RPG that I created. I played a few games of that, and hosted Patriot at a couple of conventions from 2004-2007. The most popular thing that still sees a lot of demand is a 17"x22" 5-mile to the hex map of the Middle Atlantic Colonies from Virginia up to Massachusetts, and I have a new map in the works now (This year) for it (a Work-In-Progress) of Massachusetts, Maine, and New Hampshire.
Really nice maps!
I have been digging into the history of NW Native American history because of another project, and it made me think there should be some way to work it into my DCC campaign.
Nothing for publication, but years ago I did have an idea for a game set in the early Yosemite Valley, with Ohlone indians facing off against evil wolf spirits for control of the valley. Should do something with that some day.
Ehdrigohr (http://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/117380/Ehdrigohr-The-Roleplaying-Game)
Full of heart, but an obvious first attempt and in drastic need of an editor (and 2nd edition).
New Fire: Temikamatl Book of Dreams (http://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/114915/New-Fire-Temikamatl-Book-of-Dreams)
Technically Mesoamerican, but that's a kind of Native American, so it counts. Gorgeous art, evocative writing, authentic setting, powerful themes, elegant system, respectful execution, all in all an underappreciated treasure which does pretty much everything right.
Ok, so, I'm back from work and going through my notes on this. There were three books for the series;
Book 1, Patriot - Roleplaying Adventure during the American Colonial Era
This is the book about the colonists... The books were all original designed as 8-1/2"x11" soft perfect bound
Here is a mockup of the cover & as well as the table of contents for Book 1, Patriot;
[ATTACH=CONFIG]486[/ATTACH]
Table of Contents
Patriot Book 1
Section Title - Page
========================
Introduction 5
Life in Colonial America 6
Small Towns – Small Farms 6
Early Travel 6
Mail 6
Early Colonial Homes Styles 7
Log Cabins 7
Dugouts 7
Wigwams 7
New Amsterdam 7
Flemish Homes 7
Life in New England 8
Crops 8
General Life 8
Life in the Southern Colonies 8
Southern Homes 9
Plantations 9
Southern Colonial Travel 10
Fashion in the Colonies 10
Common Clothing in the Colonies 10
The 1700’s 11
Coastal Colonies 12
Colonial Industries 13
Iron 13
Charcoal-Burning 13
Tanbark 13
Tanners 13
Glass 13
Paper 14
Clocks 14
Wagons and Carriages 14
Wool Production 14
The Postriders and the News 14
Ships 15
Ropemaking 15
Merchant Trade 15
1700’s Architecture 15
Schools 16
Travel in the 1700’s 16
Character Classes 16
Colonial Militiaman 16
Frontiersmen 16
Merchant 16
Continental Soldier 16
Scout 16
NPCs 17
Colonial Name Generator 17
Craftsman 17
Equipment 17
Trade Goods 17
Tools 17
Transportation 17
Weapons 17
Firearms 17
Artillery 17
Armor 17
Economics 17
Exchange Rates 17
Encounter Tables 17
Wilderness 17
Countryside 17
Farm Country 17
Small Town 18
City 18
Colonial Settlement 19
Farmstead 19
Starter Adventure - To Be Announced 20-34
Book 2, For King & Crown - Roleplaying Adventure during the American Colonial Era
This is the book about the English & Loyalists. I don't have a table of contents for this, just a bunch of notes and a rough outline
[ATTACH=CONFIG]487[/ATTACH]
Outline
Introduction
History
Early History 1621-1721
War of Jenkins Ear 1739-1741 (With Spain)
French & Indian War 1755-1763 (With France & The Natives)
The Rebellion 1775-1783 (With The Colonies)
Life in His Majesties Regiment of the Foot
Life in His Majesties Cavalry
Life in the American Colonies
The Royal Navy
Character Classes
Footsoldier
Cavalry or Horseman
Royal Navy Sailor
Royal Navy Marine
Loyalist Militiaman
Loyalist Settler
French Footsoldier
French Trapper
French Explorer
English Name Generator
German Name Generator
French Name Generator
English Forts & Strongholds
King & Crown Adventure
Book 3, Warriors of the Rainbow - Roleplaying Adventure during the American Colonial Era
This is the book about the Native Americans. Also don't have a table of contents for this just yet, just a bunch of notes, and a rough outline...
[ATTACH=CONFIG]488[/ATTACH]
Warriors of the Rainbow Cover
Introduction
The Tribes
Geographic Domains of the Tribes
The Mohawk Confederacy
Seneca
Iroquois
Huron
Erie
Cayuga
Onandoga
Mohawk Name Generator
Shawnee
Miami
Cherokee
Choctaw
Chicamauga
Algonquin Name Generator
Catawba
Apalachee
Calusa
Timocua
Floridian Name Generator
Native Settlement
Northern Settlements
Southern Settlements
Florida and Georgia Settlements
Trading
Parley
Raiding
Character Classes
Native Warrior
Shaman
Trader
Trapper
Playing Native American Characters
Native American Strongholds
The Raid - An adventure for Native Players
Two Faces - An Adventure during the Rebellion
Wilderness Encounter Tables
Treasure Tables
I really should work to get this finished in 2016. I do my own maps, However I have more commissioned artwork from three different artists for these books, including Stephan Poag art (He did interiors for me on Books 1 & 2).
Quote from: Lynn;926937Could be either but primarily talking about NA only.
Dragon had articles on playing a purely native style campaign. They had one for the Ice Age, one for Native Americans, one for Aztecs, and one for Africans. The quality varied greatly from "read a history book" to some details. Probably the Ice Age and Maztica articles have the most useful info that can be adapted.
Northern Crown is not a purely NA setting but it is set in the Colonial Era and has a whole lot of NA material.
Don't know of any actual NA campaigns, but I did use this resource (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Atruaghin_Clans) to reskin gnolls as native peoples (somewha
Quote from: Anon Adderlan;926980Gorgeous art, evocative writing, authentic setting, powerful themes, elegant system, respectful execution, all in all an underappreciated treasure which does pretty much everything right.
Quote from: Temikamatl DTRPG pagea unique collaborative storytelling mechanic
Well everything right but one. :D
Well, fantasy, pseudo-Native Americans... how about Gazetteer 14: The Atruaghin Clans, in the Mystara Basic D&D series? (http://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/170942/GAZ14-The-Atruaghin-Clans-Basic). I never owned it, and have no idea about the quality of the gazetteer - just came to mind.
Quote from: Herne's Son;926950Nothing for publication, but years ago I did have an idea for a game set in the early Yosemite Valley, with Ohlone indians facing off against evil wolf spirits for control of the valley. Should do something with that some day.
I was going to use it in a Werewolf Wild West game that never got off the ground. A place named after a tribe that was called Those Who Kill/The Killers and who called it The Gaping Maw is just too good to pass up, isn't it? Of course I lived there at the time so that's part of it for me.
Which of the hundreds of tribes and dozens of cultures do you mean by "Native American?"
He did say "Any" so I assume, all.
Has there ever been one of these that has had any prominence and avoided loud accusations of racism?
Quote from: Gronan of Simmerya;927396Which of the hundreds of tribes and dozens of cultures do you mean by "Native American?"
Which of the many European cultures do people mean when they talk about European fantasy? A mish-mash of all of them but really none of them? Probably like that.
Quote from: GameDaddy;926981Book 3, Warriors of the Rainbow - Roleplaying Adventure during the American Colonial Era
This is the book about the Native Americans. Also don't have a table of contents for this just yet, just a bunch of notes, and a rough outline...
[ATTACH=CONFIG]488[/ATTACH]
Warriors of the Rainbow Cover
I have seen this piece before. But not sure where. Dragon Magazine? For some reason I think Gamma World or Metamorphosis Alpha???
Quote from: Gronan of Simmerya;927396Which of the hundreds of tribes and dozens of cultures do you mean by "Native American?"
Any. I have a rather specific interest in cultures of the NW (Wakasan speaking group, Coastal Salish, Tlingit, Chinook, etc), but I am interested in all of them. I find the interest in more authentic cultures over the last few years refreshing from the "Kara-Tur" Panda Express jumble.
The Totems of the Dead setting mentioned above is kinda sorta serial numbers filed off, the North America of Conan. It's a Sword and Sorcery setting. The Northwestern tribes would be the Tribes of the Eagle Coast in the TotD setting. The rules themselves go into things like counting coup, shamanism and spirits, bravery and reputation, songs and chants (with powerful songs even being treasure or the point of a quest), herbalism, more expanded combat options, with options to use some grapples/throws as Tricks, warpaint, tattoos, sports, vision quests etc... The Eaglecoast section specifically gets into secret societies, totem poles, potlatche, etc.
The Gamemaster's Guide has a bewildering array of monsters and spirits inspired by Native American folklore.
If you're looking for historical, I wouldn't look to this for a game about Real Native Americans anymore than I would look to a Conan supplement for a game about Real Norse or Real Egyptians. It's a fantasy, sword & sorcery, long-lost earth prehistory, that uses rough analogues of historical peoples. It's more about giving a proper feel to the New World peoples for the setting then it is getting right the historical difference between the Haida and the Makah.
But...the individual rules and monsters are eminently grabbable.
The Pictish wilderness of REH's Hyborian Age make a good NA fantasy-esqe frontier-like proxy setting.
Quote from: yosemitemike;927433Which of the many European cultures do people mean when they talk about European fantasy? A mish-mash of all of them but really none of them? Probably like that.
Well, I usually talk about "pseude medieval European fantasy." There were some similarities between knighthood in Germany and in England. And England and Germany had at least heard about each other. But the Algonquin had never even heard of the Zuni, and vice versa. America is bigger than Europe.
Quote from: CRKrueger;927497The Totems of the Dead setting mentioned above is kinda sorta serial numbers filed off, the North America of Conan. It's a Sword and Sorcery setting. The Northwestern tribes would be the Tribes of the Eagle Coast in the TotD setting. The rules themselves go into things like counting coup, shamanism and spirits, bravery and reputation, songs and chants (with powerful songs even being treasure or the point of a quest), herbalism, more expanded combat options, with options to use some grapples/throws as Tricks, warpaint, tattoos, sports, vision quests etc... The Eaglecoast section specifically gets into secret societies, totem poles, potlatche, etc.
The Gamemaster's Guide has a bewildering array of monsters and spirits inspired by Native American folklore.
If you're looking for historical, I wouldn't look to this for a game about Real Native Americans anymore than I would look to a Conan supplement for a game about Real Norse or Real Egyptians. It's a fantasy, sword & sorcery, long-lost earth prehistory, that uses rough analogues of historical peoples. It's more about giving a proper feel to the New World peoples for the setting then it is getting right the historical difference between the Haida and the Makah.
But...the individual rules and monsters are eminently grabbable.
My point (and I do have one) is that the sheer size of North America meant that there were a lot of different cultures, many of which never interacted with each other. I'm tired of "Native American" being treated as a blanket term as though there was ONE "Native American" culture, or spirituality, or etc. A few years of living among the Buffalo People here in the Dakotas has made me angry as hell about the Tauren, for instance. If you have tipis and totem poles, you're doing it wrong.
Quote from: Madprofessor;927508The Pictish wilderness of REH's Hyborian Age make a good NA fantasy-esqe frontier-like proxy setting.
Plus, technically, it's Redneck Whitey's killing Whitey's who have appropriated Native American culture, so if you are an SJW, you win no matter what happens. :D
Everyone else just basks in the awesome.
Quote from: Gronan of Simmerya;927517My point (and I do have one) is that the sheer size of North America meant that there were a lot of different cultures, many of which never interacted with each other. I'm tired of "Native American" being treated as a blanket term as though there was ONE "Native American" culture, or spirituality, or etc. A few years of living among the Buffalo People here in the Dakotas has made me angry as hell about the Tauren, for instance. If you have tipis and totem poles, you're doing it wrong.
Well, by definition, generalizations are all, at least partially, wrong. Still, it is how human beings organize complex information for the sake of efficiency. People talk about "European Culture" or "East Asian Culture" or "Native American Culture" as if sharing a continent is enough to demonstrate commonality. It's wrong, yet everyone grasps it as if it were common sense.
By the way, the last time I talked to the Oglala Souix, they told me that they preferred the term "Indigenous Americans" to "Native Americans." I wonder if that still holds.
Quote from: Gronan of Simmerya;927516Well, I usually talk about "pseude medieval European fantasy." There were some similarities between knighthood in Germany and in England. And England and Germany had at least heard about each other. But the Algonquin had never even heard of the Zuni, and vice versa. America is bigger than Europe.
Europe is smaller, has more favorable geography for cultural cross-pollination and we have much more extensive written records showing what things were like. What we get in Pseudo-European fantasy is a mish-mash of various cultures along with invention. I imagine it would be the same with North America only more so. If you don't want to compare Pseudo-European fantasy, Pseudo-Asian fantasy then. It's the same thing.
Quote from: Gronan of Simmerya;927517My point (and I do have one) is that the sheer size of North America meant that there were a lot of different cultures, many of which never interacted with each other. I'm tired of "Native American" being treated as a blanket term as though there was ONE "Native American" culture, or spirituality, or etc.
That's understandable, but not in this case. My position on culture is that they all deserve respect. Like air, you can't put a dollar value on it, and you can't really claim appropriation because it all comes from something else, either by force or by sharing and borrowing. Severe reduction is kind of insulting, kind of like people who say there is one "white culture". But like passing wind its best just let it pass than to bother inhaling.
Quote from: Gronan of Simmerya;927517My point (and I do have one) is that the sheer size of North America meant that there were a lot of different cultures, many of which never interacted with each other. I'm tired of "Native American" being treated as a blanket term as though there was ONE "Native American" culture, or spirituality, or etc. A few years of living among the Buffalo People here in the Dakotas has made me angry as hell about the Tauren, for instance. If you have tipis and totem poles, you're doing it wrong.
Yeah, but they're not
doing it wrong, because Blizzard never claimed that the Tauren are the Assiniboine, they're the Tauren...minotaurs dude,
minotaurs.
Now, if you want to claim that Blizzard shouldn't have included the random trappings of NA culture without building them some water plants, schools or health clinics first, just to not be a dick, or if they were going to do it, make it an accurate representation despite
minotaurs, that's an argument to make. Otherwise you may as well criticize the humans for not being properly British, the Gnomes for not being accurate to the Swiss, and the Dwarves for being No True Scotsman.
Quote from: Madprofessor;927537By the way, the last time I talked to the Oglala Souix, they told me that they preferred the term "Indigenous Americans" to "Native Americans." I wonder if that still holds.
"Native American" is a white liberal thing. From what I've gathered based on reading various things, the preferred term is always
the name of fucking tribe whenever possible but other terms that work are Indigenous Americans, First Nations (mostly in Canada), and a surprising number of indigenous are actually fine with American Indian (http://www.compusci.com/indian/), believe it or not. In fact, in most cases "Native American" is probably not a problem, when it comes right down to it, it's just that it identifies you as a white liberal more concerned with etiquette than the actual issues. I'm just a white guy so what do I know about it, but that's my impression of the situation.
Quote from: ningauble;928208"Native American" is a white liberal thing. From what I've gathered based on reading various things, the preferred term is always the name of fucking tribe whenever possible but other terms that work are Indigenous Americans, First Nations (mostly in Canada), and a surprising number of indigenous are actually fine with American Indian (http://www.compusci.com/indian/), believe it or not. In fact, in most cases "Native American" is probably not a problem, when it comes right down to it, it's just that it identifies you as a white liberal more concerned with etiquette than the actual issues. I'm just a white guy so what do I know about it, but that's my impression of the situation.
In recent (popular) historical works on the subject I've noticed a return to the term American Indian.
In Mexico IME the preferred word to use is "indÃgenas" (indigenous people), with "indios" (indians) considered derogatory. This is not a SJW thing. It has been like this for quite some time.
Quote from: ningauble;928208"Native American" is a white liberal thing. From what I've gathered based on reading various things, the preferred term is always the name of fucking tribe whenever possible but other terms that work are Indigenous Americans, First Nations (mostly in Canada), and a surprising number of indigenous are actually fine with American Indian (http://www.compusci.com/indian/), believe it or not. In fact, in most cases "Native American" is probably not a problem, when it comes right down to it, it's just that it identifies you as a white liberal more concerned with etiquette than the actual issues. I'm just a white guy so what do I know about it, but that's my impression of the situation.
Um... no. Native is not exclusively used by white liberals. For reference I live within walking distance of the Tsuu T'ina reserve and serve members of the band every day, and have for years. I had words with management after they had security shadow a long time customer who drops over $300 a week at our store. Also for reference, I live in the riding that was Stephen Harper's. Like his MP office was in the building I have worked in for years. There isn't any place in Canada that is more right wing. Yes rednecks call them Indians but they are also just as likely to refer to them as Natives. What website fed you that information?
Quote from: Krimson;928211Um... no. Native is not exclusively used by white liberals. For reference I live within walking distance of the Tsuu T'ina reserve and serve members of the band every day, and have for years. I had words with management after they had security shadow a long time customer who drops over $300 a week at our store. Also for reference, I live in the riding that was Stephen Harper's. Like his MP office was in the building I have worked in for years. There isn't any place in Canada that is more right wing. Yes rednecks call them Indians but they are also just as likely to refer to them as Natives. What website fed you that information?
Look, I'm not trying to get into a pissing contest, I'm putting out there what I've gathered as I do try to follow these issues. I suspect that these things are going to vary from region to region, the custom in Canada may not be the custom in parts of the United States. And of course different individuals are going to have different opinions. If you're interested in web sites perhaps you should follow the link I posted. That is quote from only one individual, but he was (and is) far from the only one.
I'm still yearning for the Straits of Anian (http://straitsofanian.blogspot.ca/) guy to make a setting book (based on Pacific Northwest aboriginal myths and peoples)
There is Angakkuit (http://www.abstractnova.com/angakkuit.php) which is, from what I gather, Inuit hunting dangerous beasts from folklore and myth..
Quote from: Necrozius;928222I'm still yearning for the Straits of Anian (http://straitsofanian.blogspot.ca/) guy to make a setting book (based on Pacific Northwest aboriginal myths and peoples)
That's what I have been reading up on recently, both for some background material for my DCC campaign plus for NW based stories. He's got some good ideas there. There are a bunch of tribes in the Pacific Northwest which had some quite unique and interesting cultures.