D&D is its own Genre of Fantasy?

[Wulf Ratbane]

Apparently what I consider "D&D fantasy" is different from what others view it as. What I had in mind was rather the telling of stories that may or may not have to do with adventurers, only based in a setting with dragons, elves and wizards.

That's not D&D fantasy. That's just fantasy. There's plenty of it; go forth and read.

Arbiter of Wyrms' answered you perfectly.

D&D fantasy-- identifiable as D&D because it is filled with the conventions of D&D gaming-- doesn't work very well because it breaks the expectations of strong, classical narrative. When you break those expectations-- to put it bluntly-- the story sucks.

The actual degree of suckage may vary, but generally speaking the more identifiable the genre is as D&D fantasy, the more the story suffers. If you want a good story-- and there are many good stories right here in the Story Hour forum-- the more you will have to downplay or obfuscate the genre's game underpinnings.

 

[The_Gneech]

http://www.shamusyoung.com/twentysidedtale/?p=612

Read it and weep.

-The Gneech

 

[BryonD]

Read it and weep.

 

[buzz]

Look what I stirred up!

The actual degree of suckage may vary, but generally speaking the more identifiable the genre is as D&D fantasy, the more the story suffers.

I think it's entirely possible to write a book that features all of the tropes of D&D-style fantasy and still end up with an enjoyable read. Granted, I haven't read much game-based fiction...

The issue, IMO, is less about featuring the tropes and more mimicking the experience. D&D's ultimate goal, as a game, is not to produce a good story. Its goal is to produce a fun gaming experience. I get bored to tears reading narrative accounts of D&D sessions the same way that I'd probably get bored reading a narrative account of a game of Monopoly. "The race car surged forth to stop at Baltic Ave. Seeing the property available, the driver got a loan from the bank and purchased the property. Then, the little dog trotted over to Park Place..."

 

[Wulf Ratbane]

Leilani

Dude, you really have to change your sig. Every time I see it, I have those drums pounding through my head for the rest of the day.

 

[Raven Crowking]

"The race car surged forth to stop at Baltic Ave. Seeing the property available, the driver got a loan from the bank and purchased the property. Then, the little dog trotted over to Park Place..."

Go on, man! Don't just leave us hanging.....!

 

[hong]

"The race car surged forth to stop at Baltic Ave. Seeing the property available, the driver got a loan from the bank and purchased the property. Then, the little dog trotted over to Park Place..."

"Where, on waking up, it discovered that it had turned into a giant cockroach. Mortified by this transmogrification, the little dog/cockroach picked up a Chance card and went directly to jail..."

 

[buzz]

Personally, I would have gone with Fantasy Gaming being the actual genre (of RPGing) and D&D being just a collection of styles of play under that genre but I am being flexible to expand the conversation.

I don't think that there's an identifiable "Fantasy Gaming" genre, unless you're simply using the term to refer to "D&D-style Fantasy." I say this because most of the FRPGs I've encountered are either trying to mimic D&D's style, or else are attempting to emulate a specific mode or modes of literary/cinematic fantasy or mythology.

I.e., D&D basically invented its own genre in the process of Gygax, Arneson, et al inventing it (as well as the accretion of development over its lifespan). I'm not sure I can think of another FRPG that did the same thing.

Styles of play seems to be a separate issue from the whole question of genre. E.g., "hack n' slash" set in an SF genre might better be called "shoot n' loot," but the fundamental play experience is the same.

 

[buzz]

"Where, on waking up, it discovered that it had turned into a giant cockroach. Mortified by this transmogrification, the little dog/cockroach picked up a Chance card and went directly to jail..."

I would pay good money for this version of Monopoly.

 

[Chiaroscuro23]

I'd agree on the "Game Fantasy" post, but then note that things like Slayers, Record of Lodoss War, or Those Who Hunt Elves (lots of anime, though Slayers was originally a series of light novels) have sprung out of the "Game Fantasy" genre too.

Slayers, for example, has rather Warlock-like casters, with a small repertoire of at-will abilities (though they have the typical anime caveat that you have to shout out their names to cast them). "Raywing!"

Those things are examples of stories written in the genre that D&D built. The argument goes that D&D fantasy inspired lots of later stories that basically follow its lines. There's got to be a good essay on this online somewhere. I should look around a bit.