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Doctor Strange: The Original D&D Grognard
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<blockquote data-quote="talien" data-source="post: 7703698" data-attributes="member: 3285"><p>We previously discussed the negative influence of a doctor on <em><strong>Dungeons & Dragons</strong></em>--<a href="http://www.enworld.org/forum/showthread.php?493126-Radecki-on-Trial-The-Psychiatrist-who-Attacked-D-amp-D" target="_blank">Dr. Thomas Radecki</a>, who used court cases to advocate that D&D was dangerous to society. But there is another, fictional doctor who strongly influenced D&D spells and magic items and who is now experiencing a resurgence thanks to a Marvel movie: <a href="https://www.patreon.com/posts/doctor-strange-7179101" target="_blank"><em><strong>Doctor Strange</strong></em></a><strong><em>.</em></strong></p><p></p><p style="text-align: center">[ATTACH=full]283555[/ATTACH]</p> <p style="text-align: center"><a href="https://pixabay.com/illustrations/multiverse-of-madness-doctor-strange-1571343/" target="_blank">Picture courtesy of Pixabay.</a></p><h3><strong>That's Strange!</strong></h3><p>The influence of comic books on <em><strong>Dungeons & Dragons</strong></em> is a footnote in the game's history but had an outsized influence on its formation. The evidence is right on the cover of the original boxed set. Jon Peterson explains in <a href="http://amzn.to/2eV1f2chttp://" target="_blank"><em><strong>Playing at the World</strong></em></a>:</p><p></p><p>Greg Bell's artwork of a warrior astride a rearing horse was <a href="http://www.neilalien.com/doc/archive/2009/04/" target="_blank">copied from a Dan Adkins' art in a <strong><em>Doctor Strange</em></strong> comic</a>, <strong><em>Strange Tales #167</em></strong>. The influence of Doctor Strange doesn't stop there.</p><h3><strong>Spelling it Out</strong></h3><p>The categorization of D&D spells is known to be drawn from Jack Vance's <strong><em>Dying Earth</em></strong> series, but it seems likely there were other inspirations for D&D spells. Peterson elaborates:</p><p></p><p>Doctor Strange also mentioned astral and ethereal travel frequently. But of all the magical inspiration that Strange imbued D&D, one is a form of pseudo-science: psionics. Timothy Kask <a href="http://rfipodcast.com/show/2013/02/11/volume-3-special-insert-5-tim-kask/" target="_blank">reiterated that Marvel Comics' Doctor Strange led to the psionics system</a> presented in <strong><em>Supplement III: Eldritch Wizardry</em></strong>. This may account for the liberal use of science fiction terms for magical effects:</p><p></p><h3><strong>That Cloak of Levitation Needs Its Own Show</strong></h3><p>The Cloak of Levitation in the <strong>Doctor Strange</strong> film provides some much-needed levity, but the NOUN of EFFECT may have been the template for a lot of D&D magic items:</p><p></p><p>The influence doesn't stop there. Peterson posits that Strange influenced everything from from scrolls...</p><p></p><p>...to spell books:</p><p></p><p>...to wands and staves like the "Wand of Watoomb" and the "Staff of Polar Power."</p><h3><strong>Stranger Things</strong></h3><p>Kent David Kelly even posits that a popular monster from D&D was also inspired by Doctor Strange's adventures in <a href="http://amzn.to/2es7A1H" target="_blank"><strong>Hawk & Moor - Book 3 - Lands and Worlds Afar</strong></a><strong>:</strong></p><p></p><p>When gamers venture forth to see Doctor Strange's latest cinema incarnation, we can take comfort in the fact that we knew the old school D&D grognard before he was cool.</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="talien, post: 7703698, member: 3285"] We previously discussed the negative influence of a doctor on [I][B]Dungeons & Dragons[/B][/I]--[URL='http://www.enworld.org/forum/showthread.php?493126-Radecki-on-Trial-The-Psychiatrist-who-Attacked-D-amp-D']Dr. Thomas Radecki[/URL], who used court cases to advocate that D&D was dangerous to society. But there is another, fictional doctor who strongly influenced D&D spells and magic items and who is now experiencing a resurgence thanks to a Marvel movie: [URL='https://www.patreon.com/posts/doctor-strange-7179101'][I][B]Doctor Strange[/B][/I][/URL][B][I].[/I][/B] [CENTER][ATTACH type="full" alt="multiverse-of-madness-1571343_960_720.jpg"]283555[/ATTACH] [URL='https://pixabay.com/illustrations/multiverse-of-madness-doctor-strange-1571343/']Picture courtesy of Pixabay.[/URL][/CENTER] [HEADING=2][B]That's Strange![/B][/HEADING] The influence of comic books on [I][B]Dungeons & Dragons[/B][/I] is a footnote in the game's history but had an outsized influence on its formation. The evidence is right on the cover of the original boxed set. Jon Peterson explains in [URL='http://amzn.to/2eV1f2chttp://'][I][B]Playing at the World[/B][/I][/URL]: Greg Bell's artwork of a warrior astride a rearing horse was [URL='http://www.neilalien.com/doc/archive/2009/04/']copied from a Dan Adkins' art in a [B][I]Doctor Strange[/I][/B] comic[/URL], [B][I]Strange Tales #167[/I][/B]. The influence of Doctor Strange doesn't stop there. [HEADING=2][B]Spelling it Out[/B][/HEADING] The categorization of D&D spells is known to be drawn from Jack Vance's [B][I]Dying Earth[/I][/B][I] [/I]series, but it seems likely there were other inspirations for D&D spells. Peterson elaborates: Doctor Strange also mentioned astral and ethereal travel frequently. But of all the magical inspiration that Strange imbued D&D, one is a form of pseudo-science: psionics. Timothy Kask [URL='http://rfipodcast.com/show/2013/02/11/volume-3-special-insert-5-tim-kask/']reiterated that Marvel Comics' Doctor Strange led to the psionics system[/URL] presented in [B][I]Supplement III: Eldritch Wizardry[/I][/B]. This may account for the liberal use of science fiction terms for magical effects: [HEADING=2][B]That Cloak of Levitation Needs Its Own Show[/B][/HEADING] The Cloak of Levitation in the[I] [/I][B]Doctor Strange[/B] film provides some much-needed levity, but the NOUN of EFFECT may have been the template for a lot of D&D magic items: The influence doesn't stop there. Peterson posits that Strange influenced everything from from scrolls... ...to spell books: ...to wands and staves like the "Wand of Watoomb" and the "Staff of Polar Power." [HEADING=2][B]Stranger Things[/B][/HEADING] Kent David Kelly even posits that a popular monster from D&D was also inspired by Doctor Strange's adventures in [URL='http://amzn.to/2es7A1H'][B]Hawk & Moor - Book 3 - Lands and Worlds Afar[/B][/URL][B]:[/B] When gamers venture forth to see Doctor Strange's latest cinema incarnation, we can take comfort in the fact that we knew the old school D&D grognard before he was cool. [/QUOTE]
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