Who are Howard and Leiber?

[Hussar]

Now that we've beaten the video game issue to death, let's get back to books.

I'm currently reading, and enjoying immensely, Stephen Erikson's Malazan series. Now, in that series, you have very common wizardry (although in a different form from DnD, but, still very common) being used all the time. Erikson has taken the consequences of the existence of a stable form of magic that is predictable and extended them to a fantasy setting.

Personally, I think most of his books are screaming for a d20 treatment, and I hope someone picks it up sometime. Playing a sapper would be an absolute blast (pun intended). And the creatures like the D'ivers would be phenomenal to see. Unfortunately, I lack pretty much any talent for this sort of thing, so I'll sit and hope someone else does it.

My point to this whole ramble is that I'm sure there are a number of recent fantasy series that would work every bit as well as Howard or Leiber. Heck, Green Ronin's release of Thieves World shows that, at least for some, fantasy doesn't have to be decades old to inspire. While I'm sure that we should retain the best of the inspirations from older sources, ignoring the work being done now is really a diservice to the genre.

 

[tetsujin28]

Maybe it doesn't, but other than Jessica Salmonson's Tomoe Gozen novels, I've found fantasy from the last couple decades incredibly uninspiring and unimaginative.

 

[Turjan]

Maybe it doesn't, but other than Jessica Salmonson's Tomoe Gozen novels, I've found fantasy from the last couple decades incredibly uninspiring and unimaginative.

I think I've got much more insipiration for games from SF books than from fantasy ones.

 

[MerricB]

Now that we've beaten the video game issue to death, let's get back to books.

I'm currently reading, and enjoying immensely, Stephen Erikson's Malazan series. Now, in that series, you have very common wizardry (although in a different form from DnD, but, still very common) being used all the time. Erikson has taken the consequences of the existence of a stable form of magic that is predictable and extended them to a fantasy setting.

I love those books; I've mined them for inspiration in the past.

Both the Shadowhounds and Shadowthrone made their way into some memorable encounters in my Greyhawk game.

Cheers!

 

[I'm A Banana]

I do think I agree that the level of magic has gone up as society has accepted "arcane technology" (things people use daily wherein it is unclear how it works). If 1's and 0's can help me talk to a guy from Brazil and balance my checkbook without leaving my room, it's probably easier to accept that, in a fantasy world, that guy three houses down probably knows how to help me with my little "I've turned into a frog" problem.

 

[Felon]

I still don't see how videogames are at fault, but I guess I see why some may use them as a scapegoat for their own problems with D&D today.

Blaming and scapegoating wasn't the point. Sorry if after all the debate you still just don't get it. I'd try again, but life is just too damn short for this.

 

[Renton]

Weren't Leiber and Howard the hit songwriting duo who penned such classics as Lankmar City, Healing Potion # 9, Barbarians Fall in Love, and (Hell) Hound Dog?

 

[Patryn of Elvenshae]

Weren't Leiber and Howard the hit songwriting duo who penned such classics as Lankmar City, Healing Potion # 9, Barbarians Fall in Love, and (Hell) Hound Dog?

Renton wins.

 

[Akrasia]

...
If you get rid of teleportation, divination, and resurrection magic, is that still D&D? ...

I don't know if it's D&D or not, but it makes for a much better game IME.

 

[Turjan]

I don't know if it's D&D or not, but it makes for a much better game IME.

Even the slight changes in AU/AE make for a better game .