RoughCoronet0
Dragon Lover
I'll admit I don't read a whole lot of books, but the Inheritance Cycle series are a few books I have taken some inspiration from.
D&D General Appendix EN - What one book/series inspires your D&D?
Laurefindel
Legend
…and since I’m cheating naming non-fiction books, I can’t ignore the HUGE influence of Viollet-le-Duc’s encyclopedie medievale as well.
Legatus Legionis
< BWAH HA Ha ha >
Robert E Howard's Conan The Barbarian series:
Blue
Ravenous Bugblatter Beast of Traal
Ursula K. LeGuin's A Wizard of Earthsea. Also the very first fantasy book I ever read.
Every homebrew setting I've done since has had an archipelago. It's shaped my thinking about summonings and true names. And dragons are never just monsters.
I know it's in the 5e Appendix E, but since the series started in 1964 it's a crying shame it wasn't in the original Appendix N.
Every homebrew setting I've done since has had an archipelago. It's shaped my thinking about summonings and true names. And dragons are never just monsters.
I know it's in the 5e Appendix E, but since the series started in 1964 it's a crying shame it wasn't in the original Appendix N.
Voadam
Legend
And as far as I can tell pretty foundational for the big idea of a D&D wizard college.
Surprised it hasn't been mentioned yet....or/and/but I'm just old...
Piers Anthony, the "Magic of Xanth" series.
PS: NO idea who "Beth" is, but I gather she sells these...at a bargain, apparently. I just wanted some cover pix.
Piers Anthony, the "Magic of Xanth" series.
PS: NO idea who "Beth" is, but I gather she sells these...at a bargain, apparently. I just wanted some cover pix.
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Urriak Uruk
Gaming is fun, and fun is for everyone
I'll do two, one I'm reading now and another I read as a child.
Journey to the West is a really great example of world-building, making an adventuring party, a clearly defined goal (go to the West to deliver some scrolls!) that is continually derailed by fun and thrilling side-quests. It's a great reminder that not every adventure needs to have doom-and-gloom, world-ending or even city-ending stakes... all you got to do is walk across a continent! Filled with memorable encounters, some solved through combat but many others with trickery and diplomacy, there's a lot to learn here and it's a great read (if you like reading truly old-school poetry-novels!). If you need a Western equivalent, pick up the Odyssey, they got a similar shtick!
And childhood book, Eragon. Yeah, it's essentially the plot of Star Wars in Tolkien-world (with a dragon), but who cares we all love it! The latter books get into more developed themes and character arcs, but this first book was a big hit for a reason... it's got the heroes journey nailed down pat, with another world-building trek across the continent.
Journey to the West is a really great example of world-building, making an adventuring party, a clearly defined goal (go to the West to deliver some scrolls!) that is continually derailed by fun and thrilling side-quests. It's a great reminder that not every adventure needs to have doom-and-gloom, world-ending or even city-ending stakes... all you got to do is walk across a continent! Filled with memorable encounters, some solved through combat but many others with trickery and diplomacy, there's a lot to learn here and it's a great read (if you like reading truly old-school poetry-novels!). If you need a Western equivalent, pick up the Odyssey, they got a similar shtick!
And childhood book, Eragon. Yeah, it's essentially the plot of Star Wars in Tolkien-world (with a dragon), but who cares we all love it! The latter books get into more developed themes and character arcs, but this first book was a big hit for a reason... it's got the heroes journey nailed down pat, with another world-building trek across the continent.
Mournblade94
Adventurer
Why do you find it so?
For me I find the books most inspriring. My wife made the observation that I am literally better at understanding story through books than movie or TV. I miss so much when I watch movies or TV, I get looped in technicalities.
Lidgar
Gongfarmer
Several books from Andre Norton comes to mind. Inspirational in terms of lots of interesting antagonists, characters, and worlds. She was a prolific, pretty awesome author.
A perennial favorite is the Witch World cycle. For an story based on an actual D&D session with Gygax, check out Quag Keep. For a very cool take on an other-world faerie world, check out Dread Companion.
A perennial favorite is the Witch World cycle. For an story based on an actual D&D session with Gygax, check out Quag Keep. For a very cool take on an other-world faerie world, check out Dread Companion.
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