D&D 5E appendix Next

[AntiStateQuixote]

Ah... I wasn't born back then for five more years.

Get off my lawn!

 

[Savage Wombat]

An issue for discussion:

Steven Brust's Taltos series is an example of a particular subset of fantasy fiction - books that are clearly inspired directly by D&D. Where the writer at some point says (outside of the book) how much of it comes from a D&D game he played in. Or some other RPG.

So, that's either a bad example for a recommended reading list, because it is too self-referential, or it's a brilliant example, because it shows exactly what D&D players think of the fantasy worlds they play in.

Opinions either way?

 

[Crazy Jerome]

So, that's either a bad example for a recommended reading list, because it is too self-referential, or it's a brilliant example, because it shows exactly what D&D players think of the fantasy worlds they play in.

Opinions either way?

Or, it could just be a good example because it is a well-written series, with some interesting characters, notably different from many of its contemporaries in style and tone, that would be somewhat doable in a D&D world (obviously), but is not so tied to it that you can see every single spot the serial numbers were filed off (like much straight D&D fiction).

If you read a book, and it makes you want to run a D&D game, it's a good example. If you read a book, and it makes you want to run some other fantasy RPG, it may or may not be a good example, but probably has some inspiring bits. If you read a book, and it gives you a new way to approach a campaign, or a different setting that you'd like to try, or a different set of foes, etc., then it is probably a good example, though hardly limited to D&D in particular.

 

[steeldragons]

An issue for discussion:

Steven Brust's Taltos series is an example of a particular subset of fantasy fiction - books that are clearly inspired directly by D&D. Where the writer at some point says (outside of the book) how much of it comes from a D&D game he played in. Or some other RPG.

So, that's either a bad example for a recommended reading list, because it is too self-referential, or it's a brilliant example, because it shows exactly what D&D players think of the fantasy worlds they play in.

Opinions either way?

No opinion for what you wanteed, but I only know "Taltos" as a book by Anne Rice.

So, with that brought to mind...I could see the "Mayfair Witch" series being added as inspiration. Though not "fantasy" novels in the D&D sense (ghosts, witches and etc...in a modern world.)

 

[kiltedyaksman]

I don't care what age people are, that someone needs to ask what Appendix N is (however innocently) on a D&D forum speaks to how far awry the game has gone.

That is all.

 

[TwinBahamut]

I don't care what age people are, that someone needs to ask what Appendix N is (however innocently) on a D&D forum speaks to how far awry the game has gone.

That is all.

Huh? Would you mind explaining the logic behind this, because this doesn't make any sense to me.

 

[Savage Wombat]

I don't care what age people are, that someone needs to ask what Appendix N is (however innocently) on a D&D forum speaks to how far awry the game has gone.

That is all.

I started playing thirty years ago with the advanced books, and had no idea what you Appendix N people were talking about until I looked it up a few weeks ago.

Now if you said "the recommended reading in the AD&D DMG" or similar I'd have known exactly what you were talking about, as I've read several books specifically because of that list.

Jargon only has meaning with the in-group.

 

[MortalPlague]

There's a few entries of modern fantasy that deserve to be on this list.

The Lies of Locke Lamora by Scott Lynch (and the rest of the Gentlemen Bastards Sequence, whenever he finishes books 3-7)

The Blade Itself by Joe Abercrombie (and the rest of First Law Trilogy, plus his other works)

I find the works of L.E. Modesitt Jr. to be quite interesting, in that they take 'good' vs 'evil' and change it to 'order' vs 'chaos'. It changes the world in a subtle, interesting way.

And on a sci-fi note, the always-excellent Charles Stross deserves a mention. Some of his work has significant fantasy crossover (like the Laundry series). Besides, he's the man who invented the Slaad.

 

[Gryph]

Some excellent suggestions here. I would add:

The adventure novels of Walter Scott and Robert Louis Stevenson (Ivanhoe, Treasure Island, The Black Arrow, et al.)

Also the fantasy novels of Guy Gavriel Kay (Fionavar trilogy, Tigana, Song for Arbonne, the Sarantium duology, et al.)

 

[kiltedyaksman]

Huh? Would you mind explaining the logic behind this, because this doesn't make any sense to me.

One could make the argument that Appendix N IS D&D - that and miniature wargaming. Don't take my word for it. Look at the list and read some of the low fantasy literature that provided the inspiration for the game.