Pulp Fantasy D&D

The second purpose of this blog is to develop what I've taken to calling "pulp fantasy D&D." The idea for this began on my LiveJournal shortly after the announcement of the fourth edition of Dungeons & Dragons. I felt then, as I feel even more strongly now, that, whatever the relative merits or flaws of 4e, "D&D," as an idea, has now moved so far beyond what it was originally intended to be that, when most people use the term, it's meaningless. At best, it's purely positivist: whatever the current holder of the trademark chooses to call "Dungeons & Dragons" is Dungeons & Dragons. I find that approach remarkably unsatisfying and, as I studied the history of the roleplaying hobby more, I came to the inescapable conclusion that D&D was now, both conceptually and mechanically, not the same game Gygax and Arneson published in 1974.

One of the things that's very clear, if you know anything about the history of roleplaying, is that Gygax and Arneson lived in a time before what we now think of as "fantasy" literature existed. That's partly because D&D's success helped create and popularize that genre. Back in the early 1970s, "fantasy" was subsumed within "science fiction." Consider, for example, that in 1970, the winner of the Nebula Award for best novel was Ringworld by Larry Niven, while the winner for best novella was "Ill Met in Lankhmar" by Fritz Leiber. Tolkien's The Lords of the Rings, though published in 1954-1955, didn't achieve widespread influence or fame until the 1960s and 1970s, at once driving the growing popularity of fantasy and benefiting from it. The strange synergy between D&D and The Lord of the Rings remains a controversial one, since early D&D products clearly referenced Tolkien's creations, which were eventually removed due to the threat of a lawsuit by Tolkien's estate. Gary Gygax consistently maintained that he did this to capitalize on the "then-current 'craze' for Tolkien's literature" rather than to any liking for The Lord of the Rings (which he claimed to have in fact disliked).

My own feeling is that Gygax was probably telling the truth, as D&D owes very little, conceptually, to The Lord of the Rings. Instead, as bibliographies in early D&D books attest, the game was in fact inspired by a wide variety of what we'd today call "pulp" fantasies, such as those by Edgar Rice Burroughs, Robert E. Howard, Jack Vance, and Fritz Leiber, along with other less well known authors, such as Abraham Merritt. These fantasies have a very different feel than Tolkien's oeuvre, being primarily escapist tales of pure adventure whose protagonists are often morally ambiguous in their beliefs and actions. Ironically, though, it was the Tolkien elements that many players of D&D latched on to and emphasized, which inexorably dragged the game away from its roots and toward what came to be known as "high" fantasy.

The subsequent history of D&D is one of its ceasing to be an engine of popular imagination and in turn being influenced by the very imaginative movements it helped to create. My own preference is for the older pulp fantasy style that inspired the game in the early 1970s. "Pulp fantasy D&D" is my name for a version of the game that, mechanically and conceptually, returns to the game's literary roots. The high fantasy version of the game, let alone the comic book and video game-inspired versions of the 21st century, hold little interest for me. At minimum, they speak to an outright rejection of the original vision of the game and, at most, outright ignorance of its origins.

Consequently, interspersed with my exploration of the history of the roleplaying hobby, I'll offer musings on how to return D&D to its roots and inspirations. Ultimately, my goal is to produce a playable version of the game that both respects its history and literary origins.

What's a Grognard?

Welcome to the beginning of a new online venture.

This blog takes its name from the French word grognard, which means roughly "grumbler" or "grouch." The original grognards were a group of veteran soldiers of the Napoleonic wars. Also called "the Old Guard," they had fought under Napoleon in many of his campaigns and, though loyal to him, were often unhappy with the way they were used in battle by the emperor. So they did what any unhappy soldier does in that situation -- they complained. A lot.

(To their credit, les grognards reputedly complained in the presence of Napoleon himself rather than being backbiters. Most versions of the word's origin imply or outright state that the term was coined by Napoleon himself and was one of affection.)

When the board wargames craze took off in the early 1970s (yes, there really was a wargames craze), John Young, the editor of SPI's Strategy & Tactics, one of the most influential wargaming periodicals at the time, took to calling the hobby's old guard -- those who played prior to 1970 -- grognards. Like the original grognards, the wargames versions complained a lot, but they also had a great deal of experience and so were seen as a valuable resource when designing and playtesting new games. The term eventually took broader hold and, since roleplaying games evolved out of wargaming, it came to be used in that hobby as well, although with a bit less affection than either the Napoleonic or wargames version of the term.

RPG grognards are popularly held to be fat, bearded guys who go on and on about how things were better "back in the day" before "the kids" ruined everything. I don't think the history of roleplaying games since 1974 has been one of continual decline, but I do think a lot of good stuff has been lost or at least forgotten since then. One of the purposes of this blog is to discuss that good stuff and its importance for and applicability to the hobby today.

Never fear: there will also be grumbling, grouchiness, and complaining aplenty! I may be neither fat nor bearded, but I can rant about kids today with the best of them.

Open Game License

All Open Game Content on Grognardia will be clearly marked as such and linked to this license.

OPEN GAME LICENSE Version 1.0a

The following text is the property of Wizards of the Coast, Inc. and is Copyright 2000 Wizards of the Coast, Inc ("Wizards"). All Rights Reserved.

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15. COPYRIGHT NOTICE

Open Game License v 1.0a Copyright 2000, Wizards of the Coast, Inc.

System Reference Document Copyright 2000-2003, Wizards of the Coast, Inc.; Authors Jonathan Tweet, Monte Cook, Skip Williams, Rich Baker, Andy Collins, David Noonan, Rich Redman, Bruce R. Cordell, John D. Rateliff, Thomas Reid, James Wyatt, based on original material by E. Gary Gygax and Dave Arneson.

Modern System Reference Document Copyright 2002-2004, Wizards of the Coast, Inc.; Authors Bill Slavicsek, Jeff Grubb, Rich Redman, Charles Ryan, Eric Cagle, David Noonan, Stan!, Christopher Perkins, Rodney Thompson, and JD Wiker, based on material by Jonathan Tweet, Monte Cook, Skip Williams, Richard Baker, Peter Adkison, Bruce R. Cordell, John Tynes, Andy Collins, and JD Wiker.

Advanced Edition Companion, Copyright 2009-2010, Daniel Proctor. Author Daniel Proctor.

Aerial Servant from the Tome of Horrors, copyright 2002, Necromancer
Games, Inc.; authors Scott Greene and Clark Peterson, based on original
material by Gary Gygax.

Axe Beak from the Tome of Horrors, copyright 2002, Necromancer
Games, Inc.; author Scott Greene, based on original material by Gary
Gygax.

Beetle, Giant Boring from the Tome of Horrors, copyright 2002,
Necromancer Games, Inc.; author Scott Greene, based on original material
by Gary Gygax.

Beetle, Giant Rhinoceros from the Tome of Horrors, copyright 2002,
Necromancer Games, Inc.; author Scott Greene, based on original material
by Gary Gygax.

Brownie from the Tome of Horrors, copyright 2002, Necromancer Games,
Inc.; author Scott Greene, based on original material by Gary Gygax.

Caryatid Column from the Tome of Horrors, Copyright 2002, Necromancer Games, Inc.; Author Scott Greene, based on original material by Jean Wells.

Castles & Crusades: Players Handbook, Copyright 2004, Troll Lord Games; Authors Davis Chenault and Mac Golden

Castles & Crusades: Players Handbook, 2nd Printing, Copyright 2006, Troll Lord Games; Authors Davis Chenault and Mac Golden

Castles & Crusades: Monsters & Treasure, Copyright 2005, Troll Lord Games; Authors Robert Doyel and Stephen Chenault

Cave Cricket from the Tome of Horrors, copyright 2002, Necromancer
Games, Inc.; Authors Scott Greene and Clark Peterson, based on original
material by Gary Gygax.

Crab, Monstrous from the Tome of Horrors, copyright 2002, Necromancer
Games, Inc.; Author Scott Greene, based on original material by Gary
Gygax.

Crayfish, Monstrous from the Tome of Horrors, copyright 2002,
Necromancer Games, Inc.; author Scott Greene, based on original material
by Gary Gygax.

Darwin's World, Copyright 2002, RPGObjects; Authors Dominic Covey and
Chris Davis.

Demon: Juiblex „The Faceless Lord‰ (Demon Lord) from the Tome of
Horrors, copyright 2002, Necromancer Games, Inc.; author Scott Greene,
based on original material by Gary Gygax.

Demon: Orcus (Demon Prince of Undead) from the Tome of Horrors,
copyright 2002, Necromancer Games, Inc.; authors Scott Greene and
Clark Peterson, based on original material by Gary Gygax.

Devil: Amon (Duke of Hell) from the Tome of Horrors, copyright 2002,
Necromancer Games, Inc.; author Scott Greene, based on original material
by Gary Gygax.

Devil: Bael (Duke of Hell) from the Tome of Horrors, copyright 2002,
Necromancer Games, Inc.; author Scott Greene, based on original material
by Gary Gygax.

Devil: Geryon (Arch-Devil) from the Tome of Horrors, copyright 2002,
Necromancer Games, Inc.; author Scott Greene, based on original material
by Gary Gygax.

Ear Seeker from the Tome of Horrors, copyright 2002, Necromancer
Games, Inc.; authors Scott Greene and Erica Balsley, based on original
material by Gary Gygax.

Eel, Electric from the Tome of Horrors, copyright 2002, Necromancer
Games, Inc.; author Scott Greene.

Eye of the Deep from the Tome of Horrors, copyright 2002, Necromancer
Games, Inc.; author Scott Greene, based on original material by Gary
Gygax.

Fly, Giant from the Tome of Horrors, copyright 2002, Necromancer
Games, Inc.; Author Scott Greene, based on original material by Gary
Gygax.

Floating Eye from the Tome of Horrors, copyright 2002, Necromancer
Games, Inc.; author Scott Greene, based on original material by Gary
Gygax.

Frog, Monstrous from the Tome of Horrors, copyright 2002, Necromancer
Games, Inc.; authors Scott Greene and Clark Peterson, based on original
material by Gary Gygax.

Frog, Monstrous Killer from the Tome of Horrors, copyright 2002,
Necromancer Games, Inc.; authors Scott Greene and Clark Peterson, based
on original material by Gary Gygax.

Frog, Monstrous Poisonous from the Tome of Horrors, copyright 2002,
Necromancer Games, Inc.; authors Scott Greene and Clark Peterson, based
on original material by Gary Gygax.

Froghemoth from the Tome of Horrors, Copyright 2002, Necromancer Games, Inc.; Author Scott Greene, based on original material by Gary Gygax.

Gas Spore from the Tome of Horrors, copyright 2002, Necromancer
Games, Inc.; authors Scott Greene and Clark Peterson, based on original
material by Gary Gygax.

Golem, Wood from the Tome of Horrors, copyright 2002, Necromancer Games, Inc.; Authors Scott Greene and Patrick Lawinger.

Gorbel from the Tome of Horrors, copyright 2002, Necromancer Games,
Inc.; author Scott Greene, based on original material by Andrew Key.

Groaning Spirit from the Tome of Horrors, copyright 2002, Necromancer
Games, Inc.; authors Scott Greene and Clark Peterson, based on original
material by Gary Gygax.

Grognardia, Copyright 2008-2011, James Maliszewski

Hippocampus from the Tome of Horrors, copyright 2002, Necromancer
Games, Inc.; authors Scott Greene and Erica Balsey, based on original
material by Gary Gygax.

Jackalwere from the Tome of Horrors, copyright 2002, Necromancer
Games, Inc.; author Scott Greene based, on original material by Gary
Gygax.

Kamadan from the Tome of Horrors, copyright 2002, Necromancer
Games, Inc.; Author Scott Greene, based on original material by Nick
Louth.

Labyrinth Lord, Copyright 2007-2009, Daniel Proctor. Author Daniel
Proctor.

Leprechaun from the Tome of Horrors, copyright 2002, Necromancer
Games, Inc.; author Scott Greene based on original material by Gary
Gygax.

Lurker Above from the Tome of Horrors, copyright 2002, Necromancer
Games, Inc.; author Scott Greene, based on original material by Gary
Gygax.

Mutant Future, Copyright 2008, Daniel Proctor and Ryan Denison.
Authors Daniel Proctor and Ryan Denison.

Piercer from the Tome of Horrors, copyright 2002, Necromancer Games,
Inc.; authors Scott Greene and Clark Peterson, based on original material
by Gary Gygax.

Rot Grub from the Tome of Horrors, Copyright 2002, Necromancer
Games, Inc.; Authors Scott Greene and Clark Peterson, based on original
material by Gary Gygax

Slithering Tracker from the Tome of Horrors, copyright 2002,
Necromancer Games, Inc.; author Scott Greene, based on original material
by Gary Gygax,

Slug, Giant from the Tome of Horrors, copyright 2002, Necromancer
Games, Inc.; author Scott Greene, based on original material by Gary
Gygax.

Strangle Weed from the Tome of Horrors, copyright 2002, Necromancer
Games, Inc.; author Scott Greene, based on original material by Gary
Gygax.

Swords & Wizardry Core Rules, Copyright 2008, Matthew J. Finch

Tick, Giant from the Tome of Horrors, copyright 2002, Necromancer
Games, Inc.; author Scott Greene, based on original material by Gary
Gygax.

Trapper from the Tome of Horrors, copyright 2002, Necromancer Games,
Inc.; author Scott Greene, based on original material by Gary Gygax,

Turtle, Giant Snapping from the Tome of Horrors, copyright 2002,
Necromancer Games, Inc.; author Scott Green, based on original material
by Gary Gygax.

Wind Walker from the Tome of Horrors, copyright 2002, Necromancer
Games, Inc.; author Scott Greene, based on original material by Gary
Gygax,

Yeti from the Tome of Horrors, copyright 2002, Necromancer Games,
Inc.; author Scott Green, based on original material by Gary Gygax.

END OF LICENSE