Victorian Era Adventure

[Serps]

Don't forget Amanda Quick's work

 

[The Shaman]

It wouldnt hurt to toss in a little Edgar Rice Burroughs either.

Burroughs of course influenced my African exploration game, as did the Sheena and Ka-Zar stories.

John Buchan's Greenmantle is another novel that I'm using as inspiration for my Great Game campaign - it's actually about German agents inciting a jihad that's supposed to sweep across Asia to India during the Great War and so technically not a true 'Great Game' story, but close enough.

Jules Verne wrote a great many stories that were not the sort of sci-fi that one normally associates with him - I'm re-reading Michael Strogoff to get Russian flavor for The Great Game campaign and I plan to pick up Keraban the Inflexible at some point.

The Moon Pool by Abraham Merritt, while technically not a Victorian-era story, is very much science fantasy in the same vein as H.G. Wells and Jules Verne, while offering the singularly interesting facet that it's set among the islands of the South Pacific, a region which seems to get overlooked as an adventure setting sometimes.

 

[Gomez]

Quote:
Originally Posted by Gomez
I love Space:1889. Great setting but the rules where a bit clunkly. I would really like to see a d20 version of it.

From your lips to the magic deer's ears...

Nisarg

After thinking it over, I REALLY want to see a d20 Modern/Past/Future conversion of Space: 1889. So I am going to do it myself. If anyone is interested in the final product let me know. I bet I will even run a PBP game of it when I am through.

 

[ragboy]

Whenever the Victorian adventures stuff comes up (especially VSF), I can't not hawk Marcus Rowland's excellent resources. His game system is pretty simple and freeform, but there is no end to the inspiration from his various campaign settings:

http://homepage.ntlworld.com/forgottenfutures/

Airship catalogs from the 20's, period SF, etc. etc.

 

[Wombat]

I loved the setting of Space: 1889. I absolutely loathed the system. At one point I had a buddy who had converted HarnMaster to cover it. I have also seen versions done in GURPS (because eventually everything gets done in GURPS that isn't done in D20, and vice-versa) and, oddly enough the Over The Edge system.

So, sure, if you do up a D20 version, or at least notes pertaining thereto, I would be interested in seeing it.

 

[ledded]

After thinking it over, I REALLY want to see a d20 Modern/Past/Future conversion of Space: 1889. So I am going to do it myself. If anyone is interested in the final product let me know. I bet I will even run a PBP game of it when I am through.

Would *I* love to see that?

Like a fat kid loves cake, man.

 

[Haffrung Helleyes]

central asia

I've travelled a lot in central asia, here are some other books not mentioned yet. Definitely read Hopkirk's The Great Game, though. I love this period, and am always toying with the idea of running a campaign set in it.

Trespassers on the Roof of the World -- Peter Hopkirk
My Life as an Explorer -- Sven Hedin
My Journey to Lhasa -- Alexandra David-Neel
Hunted Through Central Asia -- Paul Nazaroff

The last three are primary sources, and quite readable too!

-Ken

 

[Haffrung Helleyes]

oh

and how could I forget

Foreign Devils on the Silk Road -- Peter Hopkirk

Ken

 

[Wombat]

I just noticed what set of books was missing on that list...

FLASHMAN!

In creating Harry Flashman, George MacDonald Fraser gave us one of the greatest anti-heroes of all time, not to mention a tour de force rampage through some of the lowest points of 19th century combat and politics.

Truly worth the read.

 

[Serps]

I still reckon Amanda Quick's novels are a great Victorian Cthulu/Blue Rose hybrid