Neanderthals sometimes keep white apes as pets. And since we were just talking about white apes. let's skip ahead to Neanderthals on the monster list.
Also called "cavemen," the B/X Neanderthals certainly don't resemble the Neanderthals of the real world. Don't get hung up on their name, and definitely don't try to learn anthropology from D&D rulebooks!
The "Neanderthal" entry actually describes two different species. The normal ones, being squat and muscular, are probably about as tall as elves but built like stereotypical dwarves. They are capable fighters, with 2 hit dice and a +1 bonus to their weapon damage. They fight about as well as a 2nd-level Fighter whose Strength score is 13 to 15. Their AC is 8, which may mean they usually carry shields. You could decide instead that their AC comes from being especially nimble or from wearing protective clothes that are almost, but not quite, as good as leather armor.
Then there are the other ones. Call them the "Neanderthal nobles." They're 10' tall, and they have 6 hit dice! Groups of normal Neanderthals seek out pairs of Neanderthal nobles to rule them, one male and one female. The nobles come from "a similar race," so it should be possible to find groups of Neanderthal nobles living together as well.
Neanderthals are among the few Lawful monsters. They have stone-age technology, but they are friendly with dwarves and gnomes, and they hate goblins, kobolds, and, especially, ogres. They have infravision as normal for monsters, out to 60'. They keep white apes as pets, and they hunt cave bears.
All that suggests neanderthals either live in deep caverns that are connected to the caves where all those other types of creature live, or else they live in areas where there are a lot of caves and competition over cave-based resources.
In my Blacknight campaign, goblins, kobolds, and ogres are typically not born goblins, kobolds, and ogres. Either they're made by magic, or they are former humans or demi-humans who were so corrupt they turned into monsters. Neanderthals have special hatred for ogres because, when neanderthals go Chaotic, that's what they become.
Neanderthals can make their own stone tools and weapons, but their friendship with dwarves and gnomes suggests that also trade for other goods. And since they are Lawful, we can assume they see themselves as allied with the dwarves and gnomes in resisting Chaos, especially as represented by the goblins and kobolds who actively seek to conquer and destroy those demi-humans. They may be able to call on dwarven and gnomish allies in their fights against ogres.
Encountering Neanderthals
Reactions
Neanderthals usually won't attack humans or demi-humans except to defend themselves. They are shy, and their default reaction to humans encountered randomly will be to leave. If humans come to them, the Neanderthals might be willing to trade items, treasure, or information, but they will try to keep the interactions as short as possible, and they'll keep humans on the periphery of their territory.
When encountering dwarves or gnomes, the response will be warmer. I give Neanderthals the same 20% chance to speak Dwarvish or Gnomish that they have for speaking Common, but they can fall back on Lawful with many dwarves and gnomes as well. They'll be interested in exchanging news and information, and in trading with the dwarves and gnomes, especially for exotic food and drink and metal goods. In return, they can provide the dwarves and gnomes with meat, animal hides, and troops.
When Neanderthals encounter goblins, kobolds, or ogres, they will almost always attack if they think they have the advantage. In the case of ogres, they will attack on sight and without hesitation. If they are outnumbered or the ogres have the advantage, the Neanderthals will be patient and try to find a good way to deal with the problem. But make no mistake. To a neanderthal, any ogre is an urgent problem that needs to be eliminated immediately.
The question of why Neanderthals attack ogres on sight needs an answer. In my Blacknight campaign, many ogres used to be Neanderthals, and they turned into monsters because they were so corrupt. I also like to think of Chaotic humanoids as embodyments of different kinds of Chaotic tendencies, often hatred of some sort. Ogres, then, could represent hatred for Neanderthals and their collectivist, cooperative way of life. It's not that ogres just happen to hate Neanderthals. It's that ogres are, basically, made of hate for those things. They are the will to destroy and desecrate everything Neanderthals hold dear.
Neanderthals in the Dungeon
Normal Neanderthals wander the 2nd level of a dungeon in groups of 1-10. They could appear on Level 1 in smaller numbers or as low as level 4 in greater numbers. They hunt in the daytime, so those who are encountered are probably on their way to or from their hunting grounds, which is likely a place where cave bears are routinely found. They may also be heading to or from a source of plant-based food, especially if they have vegetarian white apes to feed back in their lair.
Neanderthals do not wander with white apes in the daytime, except right around dawn or dusk. That's because white apes are nocturnal, but neanderthals are not.
A dungeon Neanderthal lair has 10 to 40 neanderthals on the second level of the dungeon, plus their two neanderthal noble leaders. It might also have 1 to 6 white apes, the Neanderthals' pets.
The lair is almost certainly a set of interconnected caverns, to accommodate the normal Neanderthals, their pets, and their leaders, but it could be a single, extremely large cave. It should have access to the surface, to water, and to hunting grounds (which could be on the surface or also underground).
It would be a mistake to assume that Neanderthals are stupid just because they use stone tools. Neanderthals are intelligent, and their lairs will reflect their intelligence. Assume instead that Neanderthals are master stoneworkers who typically lack access to the materials and resources needed to smelt metals. They will trade for metal goods, but their stone weapons and tools are at least as good as typical human equipment.
Their lairs will be organized to protect their most valuable people and treasures. They will have sentries and an organized defense. The approaching caverns will funnel invaders to choke points the Neanderthals can control. A favorite tactic is to lure attackers into a cavern where the Neanderthals can attack them from above with thrown spears.
At night, all the Neanderthals will be present in their lair, but only about a quarter to a third will be awake. Half of those who are awake will be on sentry duty, and the other half will be in reserve, ready to respond if the alarm is raised.
In the daytime, about a third of the group will be asleep, a third will be on guard duty (divided between sentries and reserve), and the rest will either be out hunting or doing work in the lair. Prime hunting time is from about an hour before dawn to about an hour after dawn.
Neanderthal nobles might be encountered as leaders of normal Neanderthals or in lairs of their own. On their own, they usually appear on the 6th level of a dungeon, in the same numbers as normal Neanderthals on Level 2. Like their smaller cousins, the Neanderthal nobles need access to food and water. For food, they likely need to be able to reach the surface to hunt land animals, or they need access to an area rich with cave bears. (And the cave bears probably need surface access themselves ...). Remember, not every entrance to a dungeon has to lead to Level 1!
Neanderthals in the Wilderness
In the wilderness, Neanderthals wander in groups of 10 to 40. These are large hunting or war parties. If hunting, they are after large prey, such as cave bears. If a war party, they might be on their way to or from a fight against ogres. Their lair will be somewhere within a half-day's walk, and they are much more commonly encountered in the day than at night. If encountered at night, though, there should a chance that a white ape is with them.
Neanderthals don't appear on any of the standard wilderness encounter tables. So, they're probably not all that common. They are great for "Lost World" type areas, or anywhere they can work as allies to a group of dwarves or gnomes or as enemies to groups of goblins, kobolds, or ogres.
A wilderness lair has 50 to 200 neanderthals. That's a village. It may be entirely underground, or it might have some above ground areas, especially for trade. In the village, there will be stone masons, weavers, potters, and other craftsmen, as well as hunters and foragers. The bulk of the lair will be underground, and its entrances will be hidden and well guarded.
Neanderthal Treasure
Neanderthals do not have much use for money. What coins they have are usually taken from ogres, goblins, or kobolds they have defeated, and they use them for decoration and for trade with dwarves and gnomes.
In place of copper pieces, Neanderthals are apt to have a supply of preserved meats, stone and bone tools, and decorations made from rocks. In place of silver pieces, they will have preserved hides and leather and woven goods. In place of electrum, they have stone and wood carvings and decorative beadwork. Their gems, jewelry, and magic items are either taken from their enemies or gifts from dwarves and gnomes.
How Neanderthals Fight
When they fight, Neanderthals skirmish with thrown spears, avoiding melee as much as possible. Every neanderthal carries five spears (range 20’/40’/60’) plus either a stone battle axe, a stone mace, or, rarely, a stone club.
Standard neanderthal tactics are meant for their usual enemies: cave bears, ogres, goblins, and kobolds.
Against cave bears, Neanderthals do not have a speed advantage, and a cave bear has no trouble hitting (and probably killing) a Neanderthal in melee. When hunting cave bears, neanderthals leave food to attract their quarry and take up a position, often high up, from which they can throw spears and kill the bear before it can attack them. To kill a cave bear, the neanderthals need to hit it with 7 spears on average. They only hit 40% of the time, though, so their ambush should include at least 18 Neanderthals throwing spears.
Against humans, demi-humans, and humanoids, Neanderthals without battle axes keep a distance of 45’ to 60’ and throw their spears before closing to fight with their maces or their last spear.
Those who have battle axes will keep a spear in reserve. They'll maneuver to a safe distance from their enemies (75’ from ogres, 65’ from goblins and kobolds) and wait for their enemies to come within 45' of them. Then they'll move in, attack with their battle axes, and switch to spears for the rest of the melee.
In general, Neanderthals with battle axes fight the way dwarves with battle axes do. I've written about those tactics before.
Neanderthals will try to choose their targets carefully, but they might underestimate the threat posed by unarmed, unarmored magic-users.
Being smart and fast, Neanderthals will consider the situation when deciding whether to retreat or make a fighting withdrawal. They will retreat if they think they can survive another attack and their enemy is either in metal armor or also engaged in melee with someone else. They'll make a fighting withdrawal otherwise, offering surrender if the initiative dice don't give them an opportunity to run away.
As Lawful creatures, Neanderthals will usually accept surrender from enemies (except ogres) and take them prisoner. Prisoners' fates could range anywhere from being held for ransom to enslavement to being tried and executed for their crimes.
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