Paleomythic

Paleomythic is a rules‑lite stone‑and‑sorcery survival game using opposed dice pools and conditions. Classless and low‑prep, it focuses on foraging, crafting, and hard choices in a harsh prehistoric world. Ideal for quick sessions and sandbox play with players who enjoy exploration, scarcity, and myth‑tinged danger.

At-a-glance

Fantasy • Needs GM • 3/5 complexity • Low prep

Paleomythic

The tone is ‘stone and sorcery’: gritty day‑to‑day survival shaded by superstition, spirits, and the occasional flash of the uncanny. It supports grounded, human‑scale stories first, with room to dial the mystical up or down to taste.

Theme and Setting

The system is intentionally light. Characters are built by selecting talents and gear rather than fixed classes, emphasizing capability through items, craft, and hard‑won experience.

How Play Feels

Most tasks resolve with opposed dice pools: each side rolls a handful of dice and compares highest results, producing quick, decisive outcomes that feel perilous without dense modifiers. Conditions and injuries replace long lists of statuses, keeping bookkeeping minimal while still making consequences bite.

What Makes It Distinct

You mainly want short standalone sessions with minimal carryover You want the system to stay almost invisible at the table. You mainly want short standalone sessions with minimal carryover You want the system to stay almost invisible at the table.

Where It May Not Fit

You mainly want short standalone sessions with minimal carryover You want the system to stay almost invisible at the table.

Decision guide

What this game is about

Key facts
Players
2-5 players + GM
Session
120-180 minutes
Prep
Low
Play profile
Complexity
3/5
New GM Fit
4/5
Roleplay Focus
3/5
Combat Focus
2/5
Tactical Depth
2/5
Campaign Depth
4/5
Who it suits
Best for
Groups that want fantasy adventure with a clear play identityGroups that want place, travel, and discovery to stay centralLong-form campaigns with room for the table to build momentum
Avoid if
You mainly want short standalone sessions with minimal carryoverYou want the system to stay almost invisible at the tableYou want a much breezier tone than this game is built to support

A strong fit for groups that want fantasy adventure with a clear play identity, with exploration-Driven helping define the experience.

Agent data

Structured data and an explicit decision profile JSON document are available for remote agents.

Open agent JSON