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<blockquote data-quote="Jay Verkuilen" data-source="post: 7742595" data-attributes="member: 6873517">The thing is, D&amp;D and RPGs in general, tend to be designed around an ensemble cast of rough equals with relatively defined and necessary niches. However, most of those fictional sources really aren't. Most notably, they feature usually fairly clear and often solo protagonists. I've read most of the famous Appendix N. The stories are well worth seeking out as most are quite good, but the protagonists are really not the kind that are easily buildable with 1E or most RPGs for that matter. They frequently end up being too competent one man bands or maybe duos, possibly with sidekicks. That makes for good fiction, especially short stories, but most people don't really want to play the sidekicks to a protagonist. D&amp;D ended up being its own fiction. (Sadly, if you ask me, too many modern fantasy novels are clearly written &quot;inspired by my D&amp;D campaign&quot;. Check out the old stuff! Some of it is really good.) I do think it's possible to play small group D&amp;D with a few player-controlled, relatively higher level protagonists beefed up by henchmen who may or may not be player-controlled. I played a whole lot of it for a while and I think it's closer to what the Lake Geneva gang played. We had a lot of intense RP, which I think was probably a bit different. It was pretty cool and definitely had more of the feel of, say, Fafhrd and the Gray Mouser.</blockquote>

[QUOTE="Jay Verkuilen, post: 7742595, member: 6873517"] The thing is, D&D and RPGs in general, tend to be designed around an ensemble cast of rough equals with relatively defined and necessary niches. However, most of those fictional sources really aren't. Most notably, they feature usually fairly clear and often solo protagonists. I've read most of the famous Appendix N. The stories are well worth seeking out as most are quite good, but the protagonists are really not the kind that are easily buildable with 1E or most RPGs for that matter. They frequently end up being too competent one man bands or maybe duos, possibly with sidekicks. That makes for good fiction, especially short stories, but most people don't really want to play the sidekicks to a protagonist. D&D ended up being its own fiction. (Sadly, if you ask me, too many modern fantasy novels are clearly written "inspired by my D&D campaign". Check out the old stuff! Some of it is really good.) I do think it's possible to play small group D&D with a few player-controlled, relatively higher level protagonists beefed up by henchmen who may or may not be player-controlled. I played a whole lot of it for a while and I think it's closer to what the Lake Geneva gang played. We had a lot of intense RP, which I think was probably a bit different. It was pretty cool and definitely had more of the feel of, say, Fafhrd and the Gray Mouser. [/QUOTE]

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