D&D General A shorter Appendix N

[Paul Farquhar]

Yeah there seems to be very little Lovecraftian horror in 1E core 3 books.

Mind Flayers.

 

[Reynard]

Mind Flayers.

Detroit, too, if I recall.

 

[S'mon]

For one example, 1E thieves' ability to read spell scrolls (with a chance of reversed effect) is derived from The Eyes of the Overworld. Cugel steals Iucounu's spellbook and casts some spells by reading directly from it, but then has a spell backfire when he mispronounces a word.

This also happens to Leiber's Gray Mouser in Lords of Quarmall.

 

[Paul Farquhar]

This also happens to Leiber's Gray Mouser in Lords of Quarmall.

The Grey Mouser started out training as a hedge wizard though.

 

[S'mon]

The Grey Mouser started out training as a hedge wizard though.

Yes, I definitely think it is a source for the backfire rule though.

 

[Mannahnin]

This thread is awesome.

I've read quite a few of the Appendix N and even E sources.

I have found a nice book that tries to give you a taste.

Appending N. The Eldritch Roots Of Dungeons and Dragons
edited by Peter Bebergal.

Featuring tales by Poul Anderson, Frank Brunner, Ramsey Campbell, Lin Carter, Lord Dunsany, Robert E. Howard, Tanith Lee, Fritz Leiber, H. P. Lovecraft, David Madison, Michael Moorcock, C. L. Moore, Fred Saberhagen, Clark Ashton Smith, Margaret St. Clair, Jack Vance, and Manly Wade Wellman.

the inside jacket is a blue dungeon and the key to it are the chapters.

It's an excellent collection; I read it last year. Some folks have criticized it for branching out a little from the pure 1E DMG Appendix N, but Bebergal also drew from Moldvay Basic's suggested reading list, from a few years later, and did have to work with rights holders and the fact that a lot of the works Gygax suggested were full length novels, rather than short stories. It's definitely worth it as a good introduction to a bunch of important authors in a single volume of short stories.

 

[Ralif Redhammer]

I'd agree that you'd be much more likely to have a player role-play their character going mad from contact with cosmic horrors in modern D&D than in 1e.

Lovecraft seems far more influential on modern D&D than on 1e AD&D, to me. I'd say the 1e influence is pretty much entirely filtered through RE Howard.

Bebergal's anthology is a cracking good book. While there's some great stuff from the directly Appendix N works, the additional inclusions are generally worth paying attention to. Went and picked up Tanith Lee's Cyrion after reading it. And it's a true shame that David Madison died so young. His story was excellent.

This thread is awesome.

I've read quite a few of the Appendix N and even E sources.

I have found a nice book that tries to give you a taste.

Appending N. The Eldritch Roots Of Dungeons and Dragons
edited by Peter Bebergal.

Featuring tales by Poul Anderson, Frank Brunner, Ramsey Campbell, Lin Carter, Lord Dunsany, Robert E. Howard, Tanith Lee, Fritz Leiber, H. P. Lovecraft, David Madison, Michael Moorcock, C. L. Moore, Fred Saberhagen, Clark Ashton Smith, Margaret St. Clair, Jack Vance, and Manly Wade Wellman.

the inside jacket is a blue dungeon and the key to it are the chapters.

I though Gygax said they came specifically from Lumley's The Burrowers Beneath, especially the cover.

That being said, I came across this image from Basil Wolverton, and while I can't be sure of the date (50s-60s, maybe?), it's certainly eerily reminiscent of the Mind Flayer:

Mind Flayers.

 

[Reynard]

I think the most "D&D" book in the whole Appendix N is Three Hearts and Three Lions. It just oozes adventure.

 

[Mannahnin]

I think the most "D&D" book in the whole Appendix N is Three Hearts and Three Lions. It just oozes adventure.

It's awesome and I love it, and obviously several concepts are taken directly from it, but The Jewels in the Forest and some of the other Fafhrd and Mouser stories are even MORE D&D, to me. They involve fantasy characters native to a secondary world (rather than a modern man thrust into one), seeking fortune and glory with their wits and their swords rather than engaged in an epic cosmic struggle between two worlds. Though the latter type of story is also often played in D&D, certainly, the protagonist is definitely a bit different from D&D ones.

 

[Reynard]

It's awesome and I love it, and obviously several concepts are taken directly from it, but The Jewels in the Forest and some of the other Fafhrd and Mouser stories are even MORE D&D, to me. They involve fantasy characters native to a secondary world (rather than a modern man thrust into one), seeking fortune and glory with their wits and their swords rather than engaged in an epic cosmic struggle between two worlds. Though the latter type of story is also often played in D&D, certainly, the protagonist is definitely a bit different from D&D ones.

Which is weird, now that i think about it, considering how common crossworld fantasy is. Are there any explicitly crossworld settings for D&D (any edition), official or 3rd party?