Stevenson was certainly aware of Walter Scott, both beings Scots writers. Long John Silver was inspired in part by Scotts novel The Pirate
In "On Fairy tales" Tolkien notes having enjoyed "Red Indian stories" (sic) as a boy and been inspired to learn to use a bow. So...
The Three Musketeers begins with DArtagnan having a bar fight at the Inn in Meung, Ivanhoe has an Inn encounter too iirc (while disguised as a mysterious stranger), as does Dick Turpin during his famous ride.
Id guess all of those were popular reading in the early 20th century too and as...
Canterbury Tales is likely the oldest featuring an actual Inn.
But The Odyssey is notable for powerful NPC (goddess) disguised as a traveler gives a “quest hook” to adventurers in a guest-hall
My favorites are Cliffhangers, Swahbucklers, Age of Napolean and Ice Age
Japan Egypt, Camelot, Dungeon Fantasy Martial Arts, Powers, Lowtech and Fantasy Races are good too
What are the mechanics for dysentery?
Anyway my PC Orbril the Gnome became Master of a travelling circus featuring reinforced wagons pulled by giant carnivorous hamsters. The wagon train included a alchemy laboratory and tinkers workshop. The tinkers added pneumatic suspension bladders...
Yes I did appreciate that detail when I wrote it:) but left it anyway as WW1 was pretty much the last hurrah and final collapse of the 19th Century empires and sensibilities.
It may not be strict chronology but sociologically the 20th Century developed in the wake of WW1
can I ask what the Hags villainous plot was? While I've used a few hags and made them monstrous and cannibalistic I've not been able to sustain them as antagonist, I tend to lean heavily into their mythic role as crone representing the bleakness of winter so they most often become more guides...
As both a DM and a Player I like Factions as world building tools and ideally as story engines.
Factions help signal what's important in the campaign, provide clear NPC motivation and help anchor PC engagement within the setting. Moreover Faction interactions and rivalries in particular make...
That hierarchy hasnt existed since 2e, especially once they made kobolds into runt dragons and even moreso now that goblins are fey.
Orcs are in the strange place of having become increasingly more 'human' over the years, so we get the weird place of 2024 making them in to Vaqueros.
I would...