LOW FANTASY settings/adventures: WHERE? WHEN?

Mieville = China Mieville, author of the stunning "Perdido Street Station," by far the most imaginative "fantasy" novel I've read in years. Not the fastest read in the world (it's sometimes rather plodding, in fact), but JESUS that guy farts out ideas in throwaway sentences that rival the entire body of work of some very popular writers.

I can't speak for his first novel, King Rat, as I haven't read it. Perdido is wonderful, though. I give it my highest possible endorsement.

--Erik
 

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These are serious fantasy novels in your opinion?? Ye gods man, they are a goofy and wacky as you can get (at least Lankhmar and Conan are - haven't read a Thieves World book in 15 or so years).

Conan goofy and wacky?
 

But back to the core races in fantasy, I remember reading the Llyod Alexander Prydain series in grade school and that had dwarves, and Norse mythology had a lot of dwarven interaction.

The dwarfs of Norse myth aren't the Tolkienesque warrior Dwarves of D&D though. They're more like a cross between Gnomes and Goblins: small underground craftsman, more likely to trick you than stand beside you in noble battle.
 

Wow, KK, when you discover a new love you don't mess around, do you?

Yeah, those free Sword and Shield pdfs are the cat's meow. They outshine many of the pdf-only game supplements I've seen on the market (especially in terms of graphics).

My experience with the Harnmaster system was limited to five or so game sessions a decade ago, but it didn't light my fire as I recall. It had some interesting aspects, but struck me as just okay.

BTW, I dropped by ebay the other day and you'll find a few Harn items there now and again. Be wary, though -- some folks dump old versions of some of the titles right before the d20 edition comes out.

Cheers

Paul Sudlow
Freelance Game Designer Guy
 

I like the FR/GH well enough, but i was brought up on Thieves World, Lankhmar and Conan, eventually onto warhammer books, Gemmell, Roberson (tiger and Del rule) and the like. Even my tolkien-fix writer is Mckiernan and his high fantasy is darker and more fatalistic (and graphic).

I think the tone and feel is really what you are looking for, Kap. Because i am as well.

Thieves World has tons of magic, divine intervention left and right, and it even had a few non human creatures from time to time. A real decent amount of magic items and unqiue equipment, to boot. But it was the gritty and realistic tone and attitude created by the writers that really mades it's impact on me.

A lot of Conan had wizards and demons and other "fantasy" elements, but again, the feel and tone is the key.

Lankhmar has plenty of stuff too, though mostly for me, it was the wierdness feel. Tone and feel.

I created my own homebrew and the all that stuff creeped in. Although their was magic in the past and elves and such, they were pretty much destroyed and/or driven into legend. Magic was destroyed, but small hints of it remain (alchemy, astrology, spirit guides, even a few lost rituals). no more wizards. or clerics, most of the gods are dead or terribly weakened and seek only to survive themselves. I have my own hard core combat rules (too harsh some say. bah!) to make sure no one takes fights lightly.

You can take the boy out of the grit........

Although i probably could have not had all of that high fantasy in my world's history to begin with, i think i took morbid fascination in destroying it all to set up the world i wanted to game in! :)
 


"Non R. E. Howard Conan stories?" Bah!! It is to laugh! Charletanry and foolishments. Feeble pretenders!! Their infamous posturing shall crumble and pass out of memory as the dust beneath the sandaled feet of the storied Cimmerian.

(ahem)

In other words, I've not been impressed by the pathetic successors to R.E Howard's throne of iron words. Somebody needs to take an axe to the skull of whoever's in charge of that property.
 

I remember some of the non R.E. Howard conan stories being a bit out there.

JoeCrow said it better than I can, Voadam. A non-REH Conan story isn't a real Conan story. In fact, pastiches of REH make up some of the worst fiction I've ever read. If you pick up the recent Baen "REH" compilations, they're full of great REH works -- and some of the absolute worst pastiche-works ever.
 

Hey, I really enjoyed the first Conan movie, the marvel Conan comic, and the bigger Savage Sword of Conan comic.

As far as the written stories go, I agree that REH's writing is more brutally primal and elemental than those who have continued on with his creation. I came into it from the outside authors, thought they were OK, then was blown away when I read the actual REH ones. I have since read all the Kull, Solomon Kane, and Bran Mac Morn ones and have enjoyed them all.
 


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