tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7487871339000666216.post4097881903088068038..comments2024-03-18T20:22:06.331-04:00Comments on GROGNARDIA: Appendix 3James Maliszewskihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00341941102398271464noreply@blogger.comBlogger15125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7487871339000666216.post-73343624425956250182009-08-25T14:24:07.291-04:002009-08-25T14:24:07.291-04:00Bard,
I hadn't noticed that, but you're r...Bard,<br /><br />I hadn't noticed that, but you're right!James Maliszewskihttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00341941102398271464noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7487871339000666216.post-12228272219200088032009-08-25T10:58:23.619-04:002009-08-25T10:58:23.619-04:00OFF: I just noticed that it's cover is another...OFF: I just noticed that it's cover is another Moldvay Basic clone... :-)Bardhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06020447449864895480noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7487871339000666216.post-61940435504839224092009-08-24T17:13:57.061-04:002009-08-24T17:13:57.061-04:00James said:
"D&D increasingly has less an...James said:<br />"D&D increasingly has less and less connection to the literary inspirations of Gygax and Arneson. I don't think that's a matter of dispute."<br /><br />Ah, a semantic misunderstanding. Yes, the tree I'm sitting in only has a few roots left in the original soil, no dispute. I was only reacting to the perceived implication that its newer roots don't count somehow. <br /><br />The way I see it, I'm a relative youngster who wants to keep running D&D style games for a good long time, and if movies and TV shows are what keep fresh blood coming to my table then I'm ok with that. Legolas as portrayed by Orlando Bloom serves just as well as the book version for that purpose.Aquatic Environmenthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16113675513839483488noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7487871339000666216.post-89406563871776220092009-08-24T15:48:27.909-04:002009-08-24T15:48:27.909-04:00Rootless is in the eye of the beholder I suppose.
...<i>Rootless is in the eye of the beholder I suppose.</i><br /><br><i>D&D</i> increasingly has less and less connection to the literary inspirations of Gygax and Arneson. I don't think that's a matter of dispute. Whether that's good or bad is a different question.James Maliszewskihttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00341941102398271464noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7487871339000666216.post-1415169952757708282009-08-24T15:43:41.558-04:002009-08-24T15:43:41.558-04:00James said:
"That's fair, I think, but, g...James said:<br />"That's fair, I think, but, given how rootless post-Gygaxian D&D has been generally, I nevertheless consider it a small victory to see a list of inspirations that consists of books rather than movies or TV shows."<br /><br />Rootless is in the eye of the beholder I suppose. My preferred edition is, to me, clearly and deliberately rooted in the lavish video games and slick movies that got me into roleplaying in the first place. Now, I will not claim that the Final Fantasy consol games or movies like "Labyrinth" are anywhere near as sophisticated as the books that formed the substrate of your imaginations, but they are not so lacking in depth and evocative flair that they can't form a respectable base for a leisure activity.Aquatic Environmenthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16113675513839483488noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7487871339000666216.post-7041435786996749472009-08-23T23:47:03.159-04:002009-08-23T23:47:03.159-04:00Hm. I secretly suspect Bas-Lag to be Mieville'...Hm. I secretly suspect Bas-Lag to be Mieville's campaign world, spiffied up for publication.Adam Thorntonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06368676086759298705noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7487871339000666216.post-73412306078825195342009-08-23T22:56:45.913-04:002009-08-23T22:56:45.913-04:00Good point. Or video games and graphic novels for ...Good point. Or video games and graphic novels for that matter. Shows how out of step I am with the "mainstream," I suppose (not that that comes as a big surprise ;)).Trenthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01889179660165006042noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7487871339000666216.post-75190631689978149012009-08-23T22:48:54.038-04:002009-08-23T22:48:54.038-04:00It's cool that they included a list like this,...<i>It's cool that they included a list like this, and the thought that it might inspire more fans to seek out the likes of Algernon Blackwood, P.J. Farmer, and Fred Saberhagen warms my heart a bit, but it does nothing to sell me on the game.</i><br /><br>That's fair, I think, but, given how rootless post-Gygaxian <i>D&D</i> has been generally, I nevertheless consider it a small victory to see a list of inspirations that consists of <i>books</i> rather than movies or TV shows.James Maliszewskihttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00341941102398271464noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7487871339000666216.post-86133980767766346522009-08-23T22:40:31.248-04:002009-08-23T22:40:31.248-04:00This list underlines my disinterest in Pathfinder ...This list underlines my disinterest in Pathfinder (although, to be honest, the 3.5-derived ruleset had already done the job): some of my favorite "Appendix N" authors are missing (Poul Anderson and de Camp & Pratt (both separately and together) being the most egregious -- D&D shorn of their influence wouldn't be D&D to me -- not to mention more subjective personal faves like John Bellairs, Fredric Brown, Gardner Fox, and Margaret St. Clair), several of the added authors I'm not particularly fond of, and those post-70s fantasy authors who I do like and would consider important influences for any updated D&D I'd have any interest in (like Glen Cook, Gene Wolfe, Terry Pratchett, and, perhaps more controversially, Philip Pullman and J.K. Rowling) are generally missing as well.<br /><br />Also, while <i>Les Miserables</i> is one of my favorite novels, I have no idea what it's doing on this list, except perhaps that its epic scope is how they envision their Adventure Paths playing out, in which case I'd have to say its influence is a net negative.<br /><br />It's cool that they included a list like this, and the thought that it might inspire more fans to seek out the likes of Algernon Blackwood, P.J. Farmer, and Fred Saberhagen warms my heart a bit, but it does nothing to sell me on the game. If anything, the opposite -- D&D - Poul Anderson and de Camp & Pratt + Clive Barker and Raymond Feist is no place I want to go.Trenthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01889179660165006042noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7487871339000666216.post-34900202010340127012009-08-23T02:40:55.684-04:002009-08-23T02:40:55.684-04:00Anthony,
Thanks! I'm taking your security wor...Anthony,<br /><br />Thanks! I'm taking your security word idea and running with it... the Felpha now features in Monstrous Menaces #5...<br /><br />Drop me a line with your e-mail and I'll comp you a copy of the PDF when it's done.<br /><br />Security word: Flessa... hmmm...James Mishlerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10588233931813111541noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7487871339000666216.post-27752638821539455842009-08-23T02:35:17.453-04:002009-08-23T02:35:17.453-04:00I keep getting a tickle in the back of my mind to ...I keep getting a tickle in the back of my mind to play a B/X game set in Golarion...P_Armstronghttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12374589162025099763noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7487871339000666216.post-31738107530455426612009-08-23T00:37:18.044-04:002009-08-23T00:37:18.044-04:00The game's not to my tastes, but I really do w...<i>The game's not to my tastes, but I really do wish them success.</i><br /><br>I adore their in-house setting, Golarion -- it's a superb pulp fantasy setting -- but the rules are a bit much for me. I simply cannot imagine running a game using them.James Maliszewskihttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00341941102398271464noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7487871339000666216.post-79520288881734734142009-08-23T00:35:46.329-04:002009-08-23T00:35:46.329-04:00China Mieville, how did he get on there?
I can'...<i>China Mieville, how did he get on there?</i><br /><br>I can't say I'm a huge fan of his stuff either, but lots of otherwise intelligent folks seem to like him, so perhaps I'm just missing some hidden depths to his writing.James Maliszewskihttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00341941102398271464noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7487871339000666216.post-87591720651520858942009-08-23T00:31:17.814-04:002009-08-23T00:31:17.814-04:00I saw the Pathfinder RPG selling like hotcakes at ...I saw the Pathfinder RPG selling like hotcakes at GenCon and I was quite happy for Paizo. The game's not to my tastes, but I really do wish them success. In fact, I hope they clean WotC's clock.<br /><br />Security word: "felpha," perhaps a relative of the Flumph.Anthonyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01254215329246851683noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7487871339000666216.post-21242724547148366502009-08-23T00:07:36.936-04:002009-08-23T00:07:36.936-04:00China Mieville, how did he get on there? You bett...China Mieville, how did he get on there? You better not let Noisms see that. heh...E.G.Palmerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10229893317543621720noreply@blogger.com