What is "Iconic Fantasy"

[pawsplay]

Those are not even close to being a Christmas Tree of magical items. Perseus had a few items of power, and Frodod had three, but is that anything close to a D&D character who has a belt of strength, magic armor, a magic sword, a magic shield, a cloak of charisma, a ring fire resistance, a ring of lightning resistance, an amulet of health, boots of striding and springing, gloves of dexterity, and a helm of brilliance?

Persus had a magical sword, a magical reflective shield, a cap of invisibility, winged sandals of flying, and a magical wallet. His remaining slots would be armor, cloak, two rings, and belt. I've known plenty of mid level characters lacking one or more of those.

 

[The Little Raven]

Persus had a magical sword, a magical reflective shield, a cap of invisibility, winged sandals of flying, and a magical wallet. His remaining slots would be armor, cloak, two rings, and belt. I've known plenty of mid level characters lacking one or more of those.

But he's lacking the key Christmas Tree ingredient: consumables. If he was a 3e character with no potions, he'd be dead pretty quick since he has no cleric.

 

[TwinBahamut]

Persus had a magical sword, a magical reflective shield, a cap of invisibility, winged sandals of flying, and a magical wallet. His remaining slots would be armor, cloak, two rings, and belt. I've known plenty of mid level characters lacking one or more of those.

I'll give you Perseus (since I forgot about the cap of invisibility and the wallet), but the important points still stands that he was the exception, not the rule. 1-3 magical items is much closer to the standard, and that number is far short of being the Christmas Tree Effect.

 

[Mercule]

Meh. Iconic flatulence.

I don't care about iconic. I have always played D&D because it allowed pseudo-medieval European fantasy with a bit of pulp here and there. As long as it does that well, I'll play it.

 

[M.L. Martin]

Same. LotR is iconic fantasy, because it's what most people will envision when they hear "fantasy". Greyhawk/3ed is closer to LotR than it looks like 4E is going to be.

In the same way that Jupiter is closer to Earth than Saturn is, I suppose.

I love Tolkien, I enjoy D&D, but the resemblances between the two are pretty superficial, and 'iconic' D&D has far more in common with Howard, Leiber, and Moorcock than with Tolkien. (Regrettable, IMO, but the game is what it is.)

 

[Hussar]

This is iconic fantasy:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CdRH7tn2Y0Q

iconic fantasy is so anime.

 

[KoshPWNZYou]

Iconic fantasy is not-- having "social encounter rules" to replace actual role-playing & storytelling and skip ahead to 'da dungeon hack!

This one I can definitely agree with. Because there's no way that role-playing and encounter rules, and which variations are used or discarded, fall under anyone's definition of 'iconic fantasy.' They are both merely means by which we imaginative folk can disappear into iconic fantasy or any other kind of fantasy we choose (reading, watching films, and daydreaming being a few others). Which one of those two methods is more appropriate and whether or not they're even exclusive ... those are matters for another debate.

 

[mmadsen]

iconic fantasy is so anime.

I see the smiley, but I don't get the joke. I must be missing a layer of irony, because 1970s van art is so very not anime.

 

[Dykstrav]

To me, a story/setting has to have the following elements to be considered fantasy:

1) A geographical removal of the main elements from real places. Fantasy characters travel to fantastic places. Odysseus travels to the Underworld and Circe's island, even Harry Potter removes much of the action to fantastic locations. Many fantasy stories don't take place on anything resembling Earth.

2) Quest elements. The characters are pro-actively doing something, whether because they have the ambition to or because they're forced to or just because fate has decided it. Fantasy characters rarely sit around on their hands, there always seems to be a dragon to slay or an artifact to find.

3) The presence of magic and/or monsters, and possibly the direct interest of the gods in the outcome of the story or the lives of the characters. To me, this is the single defining factor as to whether or not something is fantasy. It's why Star Wars is fantasy instead of science fiction. Dune flirts on the edge, although I'm inclined to consider it more fantasy than science fiction.

Regardless of whether or not these specific elements can be agreed upon, I think it's facetious to try to make a list of individual stories that are considerd to be or not be "real" fantasy.

 

[Remathilis]

Iconic fantasy is Merlin, Lancelot, Aladdin, Conan, Sir Roland, Bilbo Baggins and Elric traveling the Western European Countryside in search of fabled treasure and the chance to stop Sauron and his minion Dracula from getting a hold of the Spear of Destiny and proclaiming himself Lord of Everything.

In short, its every possible cliche thrown into a blender and hitting frape.