We all know that the early D&D milieu was inspired by many sources, with a strong focus on sword and sorcery and other pulp fantasy from the mid century and its pastiches popular in the 70s. But both D&D and its influences have evolved over time, especially the circular relationship between D&D, other RPGs, video game, paperback fantasy and anime/animation. Moreover, I believe each of us has our own list of influences, our own personal Appendix N, that informs our take on what D&D, as a milieu, looks like.
So, if you had to distill a list of 5 or 10 formative sources for how you define what "D&D is" for you, what would you put on that list?
Off the top of my head (and this is certainly subject to change) mine looks something like:
The Lord of the Rings: I like the feel of a world on the edge of collapse, but with a sense of hope. I like the world dotted with ancient ruins and the sense of deep history. I like the dark fantasy trappings adjacent to an Arthurian mindset.
Star Wars (most of it): Almost in opposition to the above, I like the shallow but compelling world building and the sense of scope and operatic melodrama.
TSR D&D: This is cheating a little, but I still embrace much of the milieu of TSR D&D, primarily BECMI and 2E with their colorful art of high fantasy adventures with the occasional dip into the weird.
WoW Cinematics: I want to enjoy World of Warcraft, and I give it another go every once in a while, but I end up getting bored or bouncing off it. However, i could watch WoW cinematic trailers all day. As much as I like certain aspects of fantasy to be grounded, i also love huge bombastic epic super powered fantasy elements and nothing displays that better than WoW cinematics.
History: I don't want my D&D to be historically accurate, but I do like how history is full of the most unexpected events and people, and those are things that I want in my D&D. I listen to a lot of history podcasts, audiobooks and Great Courses and I always find something to inform how I see "my D&D" worlds.
Clark Ashton Smith: If there is one author from the AD&D Appendix N that i really continue to embrace and be inspired by, it is CAS. His stuff is beautiful and dark and weird and different.
Dragonlance: This is almost unintentional, but when I was a tween and young teen, i devoured everything Dragonlance and internalized much of its themes and imagery through Elmore's amazing art. Even when I don't mean to, I find myself inserting DL themes into D&D.
Frazetta and Elmore: Speaking of artists, these two ARE D&D to me.
What is your personal Appendix N?
So, if you had to distill a list of 5 or 10 formative sources for how you define what "D&D is" for you, what would you put on that list?
Off the top of my head (and this is certainly subject to change) mine looks something like:
The Lord of the Rings: I like the feel of a world on the edge of collapse, but with a sense of hope. I like the world dotted with ancient ruins and the sense of deep history. I like the dark fantasy trappings adjacent to an Arthurian mindset.
Star Wars (most of it): Almost in opposition to the above, I like the shallow but compelling world building and the sense of scope and operatic melodrama.
TSR D&D: This is cheating a little, but I still embrace much of the milieu of TSR D&D, primarily BECMI and 2E with their colorful art of high fantasy adventures with the occasional dip into the weird.
WoW Cinematics: I want to enjoy World of Warcraft, and I give it another go every once in a while, but I end up getting bored or bouncing off it. However, i could watch WoW cinematic trailers all day. As much as I like certain aspects of fantasy to be grounded, i also love huge bombastic epic super powered fantasy elements and nothing displays that better than WoW cinematics.
History: I don't want my D&D to be historically accurate, but I do like how history is full of the most unexpected events and people, and those are things that I want in my D&D. I listen to a lot of history podcasts, audiobooks and Great Courses and I always find something to inform how I see "my D&D" worlds.
Clark Ashton Smith: If there is one author from the AD&D Appendix N that i really continue to embrace and be inspired by, it is CAS. His stuff is beautiful and dark and weird and different.
Dragonlance: This is almost unintentional, but when I was a tween and young teen, i devoured everything Dragonlance and internalized much of its themes and imagery through Elmore's amazing art. Even when I don't mean to, I find myself inserting DL themes into D&D.
Frazetta and Elmore: Speaking of artists, these two ARE D&D to me.
What is your personal Appendix N?
