Top three Important Books in History... and D&D!

[Wik]

Here's the game: Pick the three most important books/scrolls/writings/essays/poems ever to be gifted upon the world. Those three books that have had a huge impact on human history, for good or bad. List them, and then include a quick idea how they would translate into D&D.... maybe even provide an adventure or two?

Note that the major books of religion are not allowed - we all know the bible is probably the most important book made, globally speaking (most historians would agree on that, at least), and the other books of religion would fill up the rest of the top ten list. So, no including the mainstream religious texts ("Core") on your list, although you could include treatises on religion ("Splats").

Have fun!

 

[Wik]

Some quick ideas.

1. On the Origin Of Species. In real life, a book that created the theory of evolution that rocked the victorian world. In D&D, I think it'd be a great idea for a book to suggest that gods didn't create the world, and that orcs and elves were biologically related could be a lot of fun. Imagine the fallout! Paladins could no longer kill orc babies!

2. The Dictionary: Lexical texts are hugely important, at least for the spread of language. I could see a really neat adventure as two book printers try to be the first to publish a dictionary, and thus codify their language. Monarchs and nobles could get involved as well, all trying to put their stamp on language itself.

3. The Epic of Gilgamesh: An epic poem that has influenced greek myth, parts of the old testament, and human thoughts on mortality. In a game sense, it could be one of those tales everyone grows up hearing - the idea of a hero ultimately doomed to failure. It could almost be the sort of thing PCs, as heroes, would treat as a bunch of "Trade secrets".

 

[ggroy]

- The Prince (Machiavelli)
- The Communist Manifesto (Marx)
- Mein Kampf (Hitler)

In a hypothetical D&D type world, these would be more like splatbooks describing how to run a corrupt state/empire or revolutions.

 

[the Jester]

The Code of Hammarabi
The Art of War
The Illiad & the Odyssey

 

[nedjer]

Batman: The Killing Joke
Horrid Henry Rocks
Asterix the Gaul

. . . inside the mind of an Evil DM . . . there's always another, more devious, option and don't mess with the Druid.

 

[GreyLord]

I would say the Aeneid or the Odyssey, but seeing that they would have at one time been considered religious...I suppose those are done away with.

Another that was a HUGE book (every place in America supposedly had one on it's hearth, and was the most popular besides the Bible at one point) is the Pilgrim's Progress. Absolutely NOT canon for any religion...and not even religious in the sense of the Aeneid or Odyssey...BUT it's still a religious book...so...I suppose that can't count either.

I'd say Dante's Inferno...but just like Pilgrim's Progress it's definately religious commentary in parable form.

Perhaps Chaucer...except that also can be considered part of the Christian mythos...even thought it's even further removed than the other's above.

Same goes for William Shakespeare...it's definately written by and for Christianity and shares the humor, values, and mockery of the same culture...as such also a religious book (I have his collected works in one volume).

In fact...until more modern times...almost ALL texts seem to be based in some way on religion.

With that light...hmmm...makes it VERY hard.

1. United States Constitution (though even that one some would say is religious...if so it's gotten significantly removed from religion with the separation of state and religion interpretations of modern day to probably no longer fall under the religious clause).

2. Einstein's theories and writings

3. Origin of species (some would debate me on that one...as Darwin at times was seen as religious...and was seen as in someways having incorporated that into his ideas...BUT I believe most would support me saying it's actually NOT in any way connected to religion).

If you don't accept #3 above (if you actually know why some would say it has some religious foundations and think it's acceptable), then I'd probably say JRR Tolkien's books had a much more fundamental change upon our modern literature and hence portions of our culture than any other modern writer in the 20th century...and unlike C.S. Lewis whose writings were based on religious thought...JRR Tolkien came right out and said his were not. They were based more upon building a modern mythology and basis for linguistic study (as well as tales for his kids) more than anything else.

 

[Wik]

Dude, I have no problem with religious books (see original post). I'm just barring the inclusion of primary texts on religion (the bible, the torah, the quran, etc) simply because they'd obviously be on everyone's lists - and because of an EN World filter on such things (and rightfully so).

The Origin of Species was, after all, on my list.

I do like the idea of the U.S. constitution - that could make for some really neat game/campaign ideas. Imagine the PCs having to write up a constitution! Such fun!

 

[Stormonu]

The DMG, MM & PHB

Or don't you think D&D's influence has had quite an impression?

 

[Wycen]

On the top of my head the first choice would be Herodotus of Halicarnassus. His history of the Persian War and the geography and anthropological musings can be borrowed for dozens of ideas.

 

[SKyOdin]

1) The Analects of Confucius. The Analects, along with the rest of the Four Books and Five Classics, make up the core of Confucian ideology, which formed the basis of East Asian government and philosophy for more than 2,000 years, and still serves as a major influence on East Asian thought. Pretty significant considering the important place China holds in world history.

2) Plato's The Republic. The first great work of western philosophy, and the predecessor to the works of Plato's student and ideological opposite, Aristotle. While Socrates might deserve credit for the beginning of this philosophical movement, he didn't write anything down so credit defaults to Plato. The significance of The Republic itself is closely challenged by any one book Aristotle wrote.

3) The Principia (aka, the "Mechanical Principles of Natural Philosophy), by Isaac Newton. The book that for the first time fully married advanced mathematics with scientific principles. Easily the most important scientific book ever written, and more or less founded modern science. While Einstein's three papers laid the groundwork for modern physics, they would have been impossible with without the revolutionary groundwork laid by Newton.

As for how to draw upon these books for D&D inspiration:
1) The Analects were the basis of the exam system in ancient China. If you want to have a setting where prospective government officials (or mages) need to study ancient texts to advance, they serve as some inspiration.

2) Plato's World of Ideal Forms is one of the great untapped sources of inspiration for magic systems and cosmologies. Seriously, how come it is never brought up?

3) Isaac Newton was a magician and alchemist. There has got to be something interesting in there. If nothing else, it is always a good thing to consider when you want to make magic and science opposing forces in a campaign setting.


BTW, why the heck would anyone consider Shakespeare's plays to count as religious texts? I considered listing his works, but I figured it would be too ethnocentric of me. His impact on the English language can't be understated, but his world-wide influence isn't quite as significant.

I really feel like I should list a major Indian work, but I don't know them as well as I should. Most of the big ones do count as major religious texts. However, I will give an honorary fourth pick to the Ramayana for being one of the most awesome and inspiring mythological stories I have ever read. If you want to know what Epic level D&D should look like, read the Ramayana.