Tired of traditional Fantasy Campaigns?

[hellbender]

I think people use Tolkein as the benchmark because he created such a strong, believable fantasy world that fantasy became mainstream. Also, even if they've never read the books, everyone knows something of the story, especially with the movies out now. I'ver read LotR more than thirty times now, including aloud several times to my son, and each time I find something I didn't notice before.

That said, I'm glad I'm not the only one reading other, older fantasy authors. It's so hard finding Lord Dunsany! I would also include Mervyn Peake's Gormenghast trilogy as must-reads from a non-Tolkein point of view. Also, Ursula le Guin's Earthsea books. I understand that some of these "classics" are coming back into print, and I've been trying to run down the ones I don't have.

I can remember when Dragon used to have "Giants of Legend," which put literary characters into D&D terms. It used to give one interesting leads on where to go for a good read.

RC

I had mentioned Dunsany, Morris, et al in a namedropping sort of way. If I can steer a few people towards these older authors, people can experience smaller fantasy, much of which is closer in scope to a one-shot adventure or mini-campaign. I do agree heartily on the Mervyn Peake series as well; a very underrated author that almost seems to have suffered from Tolkien's success.

Excellent campaign material can also be found in Tolkien's pre-history to the Lord of the Rings, both in the Silmarillion and the supporting books, not to mention Unfinished Tales, which delves into the backstories throughout the ages (did you know that Saruman had a special hidden nook to place the One Ring when [in his mind] he took it? Something that Aragorn found out while reclaiming the treasures of Isengard, which included Isildur's crown, this in itself is a good basis for a campaign).

Fritz Leiber's Swords series has excellent campaign fodder as well, with stories that contain evocative imagery as well as touches of horror and wondrous landscapes. Glen Cook's Black Company books define grim and gritty and the tactics that successful mercenaries employ to get to fight another day, I am looking forward to Green Ronin's take on this setting. Cook and Leiber are two authors that make antiheroes likeable and give them the faults and failings of the average person.

hellbender