These are the encounter tables for one of my prehistoric worlds from "A Subsector of Megayears". Modern humans have not yet evolved, that species being only 200,000 years old. The immediate ancestor of Cro-magnon homo sapiens is here however in the species Homo heidelbergensis. Most of these animals are familiar and their stats can be found in the D&D monster manual, some stats for the prehistoric creatures in Italics can also be found their as well, otherwise you can use the Traveller T20 creature system to create a near analog for that creature in D20 stats. You can try searches on the internet to find out more information on these creatures listed here. My source was the "DK Dinosaur Encyclopedia"
I think this would make a great Traveller setting.
Here are the random Traveller stats as if it were a Traveller Planet
Name ____________________ UWP _____ Grav _ Clim. PBG Stellar Type
Pleistocene Earth (1 MYA) D867444-5 1.00g Chilly 814 G2V
Prehistoric 1 MYA Encounter Tables
Prehistoric creatures are in Italics.
Cold Aquatic
___ 1 ____________ 2 __________ 3
1 _ Medium Shark _ Large Shark __ Orca Whale
Cold Forests
___ 1 _________ 2 _______ 3 ________ 4 ____________ 5 _____________ 6
1 _ Brown Bear _ Rat _____ Wolverine _ Dinofelis _ Dire Wolf _ Neanderthal
2 _ Homo heidelbergensis
Cold Plains
___ 1 _________ 2 ________ 3 ____________ 4 _____________ 5 ______________ 6
1 _ Polar Bear __ Rat ______ Smilodon _ Dire Wolf _ Neanderthal _ Homo heidelbergensis
Temperate Aquatic
___ 1 _________ 2 ________ 3 __________ 4
1 _ Porpose ____ Squid ____ Giant Squid __ Cachalot Whale
Temperate Marshes
___ 1 ______________ 2 _______________ 3 ________ 4
1 _ Tiny Viper Snake _ Small Viper Snake _ Toad _____ Homo heidelbergensis
Temperate Forests
___ 1 _______________ 2 _________ 3 ________________ 4 ______________ 5 _______ 6
1 _ Badger _ Black Bear _ Boar _____________ Hawk __________ Owl _____ Rat
2 _ Raven __ Wolf _____ Megatherium ____Dinofelis__ Dire Wolf
3 _ Neanderthal __ Homo heidelbergensis
Temperate Plains
___ 1 _____________ 2 _______________ 3 ______ 4 ______ 5 ________________ 6
1 _ Bison __________ Light Horse __ Pony __ Rat _____ Megatherium _ Smilodon
2 _ Dire Wolf __ Neanderthal __ Homo heidelbergensis
Temperate Deserts
___ 1 ______ 2 _________ 3 _______ 4
1 _ Bat _____ Donkey ____ Rat _____ Homo heidelbergensis
Temperate Hills
___ 1 _______ 2
1 _ Weasel ___ Homo heidelbergensis
Temperate Mountains
___ 1 ______ 2 ______ 3
1 _ Eagle ___ Rat ____ Homo heidelbergensis
Warm Aquatic
___ 1 __________ 2 _________ 3
1 _ Manta Ray ___ Octopus ___ Baleen Whale
Warm Marshes
___ 1 ________ 2 _______ 3
1 _ Crocodile __ Rat _____ Homo heidelbergensis
Warm Forests
___ 1 _____________ 2 _______ 3 _____________ 4 ____________ 5 _________________________________________ 6
1 _ Ape ___________ Leopard __ Lizard ________ Monitor Lizard _ Monkey ____________________________________ Rat
2 _Constrictor Snake _ Tiger ___ Diprotodon _ Dinofelis _ Dire Wolf _ Australopthecus Afarensis _ Homo heidelbergensis
Warm Plains
___ 1 _____________ 2 ___________ 3 ____________________________ 4 _________________ 5 ________ 6
1 _ Baboon ________ Cheetah ______ Elephant ______________________ Lion ______________ Rat ______ Rhinoceros
2 _ Smilodon __ Dire Wolf _ Australopthecus Afarensis __ Homo ergaster __ Homo heidelbergensis
Warm Deserts
___ 1 ______ 2 ______ 3 ______ 4
1 _ Camel __ Hyena __ Rat _____ Homo heidelbergensis
Diprotodon
Size: Large 10 ft (3 m) long
Diet: Shrubs and bushes
Habitat: Scrubland, open woodland
Where found: Australia
Time: Pleistocene (1.75 – 0.01 MYA)
Related genera: Euwenia, Sternomerus, Nototherium
Megatherium – Giant Ground Sloth
Size: Huge 20 ft (6 m) long
Diet: Leaves and twigs
Habitat: Wooded grasslands
Where found: South America
Time: Pliocene and Pleistocene
Related genera: Pyramiodontherium, Ocnopus, Eremotherium
Dinofelis – Terrible Cat
Size: Medium 7 ft (2.2 m) long
Diet: Deer, antelopes, apes, other mammals
Habitat: Woodlands
Where found: Europe, Asia, Africa, North America
Time: Pliocene and Pleistocene (5.3 – 0.01 MYA)
Related genera: Metailurus, Adelphailurus
Smilodon – Saber-toothed cat
Size: Medium 5-8 ft (1.7 – 2.5 m) long
Diet: Large mammals including horses ground sloths, bison, and camels
Habitat: Grasslands
Where found: North and South America
Time: Pleistocene (1.75 – 0.01 MYA)
Related genera: Megantreon, Paramachairodus
Dire Wolf – Canis dirus
Size: Medium 6 ft. 6 in (2 m) long
Diet: Large mammals, and other animals, carrion, possibly fruit and nuts.
Habitat: Grasslands and woodlands
Where found: North America, and northern South America
Time: Pleistocene (1.75 – 0.01 MYA)
Related Species: Canis lupus – Wolf, Canis etruscus
Australopthecus Afarensis – Early hominid
Size: Small 1 m (3 ft 3 in) tall
Diet: leaves, fruit, tubers, carrion, animals
Habitat: Open woodland, wooded grassland
Where found: Eastern Africa
Time: Pleistocene (1.75 – 0.01 MYA)
Related species: Australopithecus anamensis, Australopithecus africanus, Australopithecus garhi
Homo ergaster
Size: Medium 5 ft. 9 in. (1.8 m) tall
Diet: Tubers, carrion, small animals
Habitat: Tropical grasslands
Where found: Eastern Africa, possibly Republic og Georgia
Time: Early Pleistocene (1.75 MYA)
Related Species: Homo erectus, Homo antecessor
Neanderthal – Homo neanderthalensis
Size: Medium 5 ft 6 in (1.7 m) tall
Diet: Probably fruits, berries, nuts, and large and small animals
Habitat: Open woodland
Where found: Europe, Asia, and Africa
Time: Pleistocene (1.75 – 0.01 MYA)
Related Species: Homo heidelbergensis, homo sapiens, homo antecessor
Homo heidelbergensis
Size: Medium 5 ft 9 in (1.8 m) tall
Diet: Seeds, tubers, nuts, fruit, shellfish, fishes, large and small animals
Habitat: Nearly all land habitats
Where found: Worldwide
Time: Pleistocene (1.75 MYA – 0.1 MYA)
Related Species: Homo neanderthalis, homo antecessor, Homo sapiens
I think this would make a great Traveller setting.
Here are the random Traveller stats as if it were a Traveller Planet
Name ____________________ UWP _____ Grav _ Clim. PBG Stellar Type
Pleistocene Earth (1 MYA) D867444-5 1.00g Chilly 814 G2V
Prehistoric 1 MYA Encounter Tables
Prehistoric creatures are in Italics.
Cold Aquatic
___ 1 ____________ 2 __________ 3
1 _ Medium Shark _ Large Shark __ Orca Whale
Cold Forests
___ 1 _________ 2 _______ 3 ________ 4 ____________ 5 _____________ 6
1 _ Brown Bear _ Rat _____ Wolverine _ Dinofelis _ Dire Wolf _ Neanderthal
2 _ Homo heidelbergensis
Cold Plains
___ 1 _________ 2 ________ 3 ____________ 4 _____________ 5 ______________ 6
1 _ Polar Bear __ Rat ______ Smilodon _ Dire Wolf _ Neanderthal _ Homo heidelbergensis
Temperate Aquatic
___ 1 _________ 2 ________ 3 __________ 4
1 _ Porpose ____ Squid ____ Giant Squid __ Cachalot Whale
Temperate Marshes
___ 1 ______________ 2 _______________ 3 ________ 4
1 _ Tiny Viper Snake _ Small Viper Snake _ Toad _____ Homo heidelbergensis
Temperate Forests
___ 1 _______________ 2 _________ 3 ________________ 4 ______________ 5 _______ 6
1 _ Badger _ Black Bear _ Boar _____________ Hawk __________ Owl _____ Rat
2 _ Raven __ Wolf _____ Megatherium ____Dinofelis__ Dire Wolf
3 _ Neanderthal __ Homo heidelbergensis
Temperate Plains
___ 1 _____________ 2 _______________ 3 ______ 4 ______ 5 ________________ 6
1 _ Bison __________ Light Horse __ Pony __ Rat _____ Megatherium _ Smilodon
2 _ Dire Wolf __ Neanderthal __ Homo heidelbergensis
Temperate Deserts
___ 1 ______ 2 _________ 3 _______ 4
1 _ Bat _____ Donkey ____ Rat _____ Homo heidelbergensis
Temperate Hills
___ 1 _______ 2
1 _ Weasel ___ Homo heidelbergensis
Temperate Mountains
___ 1 ______ 2 ______ 3
1 _ Eagle ___ Rat ____ Homo heidelbergensis
Warm Aquatic
___ 1 __________ 2 _________ 3
1 _ Manta Ray ___ Octopus ___ Baleen Whale
Warm Marshes
___ 1 ________ 2 _______ 3
1 _ Crocodile __ Rat _____ Homo heidelbergensis
Warm Forests
___ 1 _____________ 2 _______ 3 _____________ 4 ____________ 5 _________________________________________ 6
1 _ Ape ___________ Leopard __ Lizard ________ Monitor Lizard _ Monkey ____________________________________ Rat
2 _Constrictor Snake _ Tiger ___ Diprotodon _ Dinofelis _ Dire Wolf _ Australopthecus Afarensis _ Homo heidelbergensis
Warm Plains
___ 1 _____________ 2 ___________ 3 ____________________________ 4 _________________ 5 ________ 6
1 _ Baboon ________ Cheetah ______ Elephant ______________________ Lion ______________ Rat ______ Rhinoceros
2 _ Smilodon __ Dire Wolf _ Australopthecus Afarensis __ Homo ergaster __ Homo heidelbergensis
Warm Deserts
___ 1 ______ 2 ______ 3 ______ 4
1 _ Camel __ Hyena __ Rat _____ Homo heidelbergensis
Diprotodon
Size: Large 10 ft (3 m) long
Diet: Shrubs and bushes
Habitat: Scrubland, open woodland
Where found: Australia
Time: Pleistocene (1.75 – 0.01 MYA)
Related genera: Euwenia, Sternomerus, Nototherium
Megatherium – Giant Ground Sloth
Size: Huge 20 ft (6 m) long
Diet: Leaves and twigs
Habitat: Wooded grasslands
Where found: South America
Time: Pliocene and Pleistocene
Related genera: Pyramiodontherium, Ocnopus, Eremotherium
Dinofelis – Terrible Cat
Size: Medium 7 ft (2.2 m) long
Diet: Deer, antelopes, apes, other mammals
Habitat: Woodlands
Where found: Europe, Asia, Africa, North America
Time: Pliocene and Pleistocene (5.3 – 0.01 MYA)
Related genera: Metailurus, Adelphailurus
Smilodon – Saber-toothed cat
Size: Medium 5-8 ft (1.7 – 2.5 m) long
Diet: Large mammals including horses ground sloths, bison, and camels
Habitat: Grasslands
Where found: North and South America
Time: Pleistocene (1.75 – 0.01 MYA)
Related genera: Megantreon, Paramachairodus
Dire Wolf – Canis dirus
Size: Medium 6 ft. 6 in (2 m) long
Diet: Large mammals, and other animals, carrion, possibly fruit and nuts.
Habitat: Grasslands and woodlands
Where found: North America, and northern South America
Time: Pleistocene (1.75 – 0.01 MYA)
Related Species: Canis lupus – Wolf, Canis etruscus
Australopthecus Afarensis – Early hominid
Size: Small 1 m (3 ft 3 in) tall
Diet: leaves, fruit, tubers, carrion, animals
Habitat: Open woodland, wooded grassland
Where found: Eastern Africa
Time: Pleistocene (1.75 – 0.01 MYA)
Related species: Australopithecus anamensis, Australopithecus africanus, Australopithecus garhi
Homo ergaster
Size: Medium 5 ft. 9 in. (1.8 m) tall
Diet: Tubers, carrion, small animals
Habitat: Tropical grasslands
Where found: Eastern Africa, possibly Republic og Georgia
Time: Early Pleistocene (1.75 MYA)
Related Species: Homo erectus, Homo antecessor
Neanderthal – Homo neanderthalensis
Size: Medium 5 ft 6 in (1.7 m) tall
Diet: Probably fruits, berries, nuts, and large and small animals
Habitat: Open woodland
Where found: Europe, Asia, and Africa
Time: Pleistocene (1.75 – 0.01 MYA)
Related Species: Homo heidelbergensis, homo sapiens, homo antecessor
Homo heidelbergensis
Size: Medium 5 ft 9 in (1.8 m) tall
Diet: Seeds, tubers, nuts, fruit, shellfish, fishes, large and small animals
Habitat: Nearly all land habitats
Where found: Worldwide
Time: Pleistocene (1.75 MYA – 0.1 MYA)
Related Species: Homo neanderthalis, homo antecessor, Homo sapiens