Which game books most inspire the "sense of wonder" in you?
- Thread starter Mercurius
- Start date
Ath'kethin
Elder Thing
For me, the 2nd Edition Al-Qadim line did it, especially the City of Delights box and the Genies of the Lamp sourcebox. Karl Waller's interior art has just blown me away since I first saw it in high school.
Enaknomolos
Explorer
As a kid, GDW did this best for me, and they managed it with minimal art: just by opening a sense of possibilities with the text and setting: the Traveller black box, Space 1889, and (perhaps weirdly) the 1st edition of Twilight: 2000. They were really good at creating a provocative, wide open, set-up that my imagination just raced to add to.
As the Traveller universe was filled in over the years it was definitely at the cost of that sense of wonder. Free League, on the other hand, have done a great job preserving Twilight: 2000's core vision of hope and possibility surviving even in the worst possible situation. When their edition came out, it set my mind racing again.
More recently, Through the Hedgerow from Osprey made me feel a sense of wonder. The player characters are really unusual, the art is amazing, and it successfully captures a weird folkloric vibe that I've never seen pulled off in a game book before.
As the Traveller universe was filled in over the years it was definitely at the cost of that sense of wonder. Free League, on the other hand, have done a great job preserving Twilight: 2000's core vision of hope and possibility surviving even in the worst possible situation. When their edition came out, it set my mind racing again.
More recently, Through the Hedgerow from Osprey made me feel a sense of wonder. The player characters are really unusual, the art is amazing, and it successfully captures a weird folkloric vibe that I've never seen pulled off in a game book before.
Ralif Redhammer
Legend
Extraplanar sourcebooks have always hit that sense of wonder for me since the original Manual of the Planes. There's something about the strange and alien worlds coming to life that makes me want to go there.
In general, a really good setting book does it for me. When I feel like I can step into it and explore its mysteries, that's truly wonderful.
Other than that, it's hard to match the sense of wonder of that first glimpse into the hobby I got with the D&D Red Box.
I frequently get such a sense when reading a novel or watching good TV or movies, or even fiction podcasts.
I pretty much never get it out of game books, however. I am okay with that - I am not engaging with a game book the same way I am with a novel or other pure fiction, and I am not seeking that same experience.
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Committed Hero
Hero
I agree that Night's Black Agents adventures do not fit the pattern that the rulebook tries to set up. But guaranteed success on a skill check - especially when combined with ability refreshes - is great for high action.
I will say the Ringworld books Chaosium released BITD blew me away.
Maxperson
Morkus from Orkus
In D&D
1e: Everything. The game was new and every book(except the survival guides) and every module evoked these feelings.
2e: The settings did it for me. They were unique and flavorful.
3e: The manual of the planes, deities and demigods, and a few other books did it.
4e: N/A
5e: Nothing. It's a great game, but it's too vanilla.
Other games.
MERP/I.C.E.
Marvel Superheroes: FASERIP
World of Darkness
Gama World
I'm probably missing some.
1e: Everything. The game was new and every book(except the survival guides) and every module evoked these feelings.
2e: The settings did it for me. They were unique and flavorful.
3e: The manual of the planes, deities and demigods, and a few other books did it.
4e: N/A
5e: Nothing. It's a great game, but it's too vanilla.
Other games.
MERP/I.C.E.
Marvel Superheroes: FASERIP
World of Darkness
Gama World
I'm probably missing some.
Have you seen Swords of the Serpentine? It allows for skill spends not just for investigation, but also for action, which might fix that issue in other games.
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