tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7487871339000666216.comments2024-03-19T07:56:00.031-04:00GROGNARDIAJames Maliszewskihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00341941102398271464noreply@blogger.comBlogger70584125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7487871339000666216.post-17972026825622294592024-03-19T07:52:04.764-04:002024-03-19T07:52:04.764-04:00"My concern has rarely been about the merits ..."My concern has rarely been about the merits of the shift, but rather about establishing that it occurred." <br /><br />Indeed it did, and the literature of Appendix N now endures some harsh criticism for all of its imbedded "isms." So many of things fans of Appendix N take for granted are now taboo in contemporary role playing and fantasy literature. When non-fans read Appendix N material, there's a real need for some historical perspective akin to what one needed to appreciate Mark Twain or Rudyard Kipling in the 1980s.Always the Rangerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11452185849452309294noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7487871339000666216.post-11103313988241081132024-03-19T07:16:47.924-04:002024-03-19T07:16:47.924-04:00Very sad indeed. Was a genuinely nice guy who love...Very sad indeed. Was a genuinely nice guy who loved to tell good stories about early TSR.<br />arthurdawghttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04269435724709435094noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7487871339000666216.post-38509595121082474172024-03-19T03:02:38.228-04:002024-03-19T03:02:38.228-04:00Sad news. Just heard that James M Ward passed away...Sad news. Just heard that James M Ward passed away. https://www.enworld.org/threads/d-d-luminary-jim-drawmij-ward-passes.703205/Harun Musho'dhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12557785368640776659noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7487871339000666216.post-20000128306979019672024-03-18T20:21:23.172-04:002024-03-18T20:21:23.172-04:00Glad it was just a pause and refresh.Glad it was just a pause and refresh.Bill Slocumhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05870693240402072887noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7487871339000666216.post-59079761688340370642024-03-18T18:40:01.604-04:002024-03-18T18:40:01.604-04:00Nifty. Certainly addresses my previous comment ab...Nifty. Certainly addresses my previous comment about how brightly lit the place was. All those lights look much better against a proper nighttime backdrop.Dick McGeehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14521293874696659063noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7487871339000666216.post-82658166107677680882024-03-18T13:36:56.566-04:002024-03-18T13:36:56.566-04:00Glad to see you back! And... there are entirely to...Glad to see you back! And... there are entirely too many novels I've let slide past me for a read or repeat read on the list! Tally hoe!arthurdawghttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04269435724709435094noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7487871339000666216.post-30430274695153596412024-03-18T13:33:31.065-04:002024-03-18T13:33:31.065-04:00Very good point. Very good point. Bookoohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07601615671461737311noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7487871339000666216.post-44289485979622066042024-03-18T13:28:06.248-04:002024-03-18T13:28:06.248-04:00That is incredibly cool.That is incredibly cool.Garnfellowhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11286268355315786252noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7487871339000666216.post-23419533453559083462024-03-18T13:25:06.887-04:002024-03-18T13:25:06.887-04:00I think that the most important thing about Append...I think that the most important thing about Appendix N for me is that "inspired by" shouldn't be confused with "meant to emulate"artikidhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17474295473142339717noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7487871339000666216.post-27307449808313902742024-03-18T12:43:33.553-04:002024-03-18T12:43:33.553-04:00FourthedFourthedartikidhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17474295473142339717noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7487871339000666216.post-28646849675005712622024-03-18T12:31:23.234-04:002024-03-18T12:31:23.234-04:00Thirded.Thirded.Bonnaconhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12667671409170609819noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7487871339000666216.post-64517821199504568732024-03-18T10:55:07.725-04:002024-03-18T10:55:07.725-04:00The heart of Appendix N is as follows:
de Camp &a...The heart of Appendix N is as follows:<br /><br />de Camp & Pratt<br />"Harold Shea" Series<br />CARNELIAN CUBE<br /><br />Howard, R. E.<br />"Conan" Series<br /><br />Leiber, Fritz<br />"Fafhrd & Gray Mouser" Series<br />et al<br /><br />Vance, Jack<br />THE EYES OF THE OVERWORLD<br />THE DYING EARTH<br />et al<br /><br />Lovecraft, H. P.<br /><br />Merritt, A.<br />CREEP, SHADOW, CREEP<br />MOON POOL<br />DWELLERS IN THE MIRAGE<br />et alGeoffrey McKinneyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01532604288018770703noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7487871339000666216.post-27842030848545601742024-03-18T09:41:37.990-04:002024-03-18T09:41:37.990-04:00Seconded. :)Seconded. :)Dick McGeehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14521293874696659063noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7487871339000666216.post-20269005124585184032024-03-18T09:23:49.123-04:002024-03-18T09:23:49.123-04:00And now you can join the rest of us in wishing he&...And now you can join the rest of us in wishing he'd written more during his lifetime. The only thing I ever read by him I didn't love was The War For the Lot and even that was okay. The Hiero books led me to track down his other writings, and his Ffellowes stories started a lifelong love of "pub story" fiction that I might never have discovered otherwise.Dick McGeehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14521293874696659063noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7487871339000666216.post-80641179001588663242024-03-18T01:35:37.544-04:002024-03-18T01:35:37.544-04:00Glad to see you back, James. Great post, as usual!...Glad to see you back, James. Great post, as usual!James Mishlerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03510782553325944558noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7487871339000666216.post-66625357661005907092024-03-18T01:17:18.958-04:002024-03-18T01:17:18.958-04:00The OSR's focus on Appendix N is directly resp...The OSR's focus on Appendix N is directly responsible for my own digging further into the list, and discovering more books that I hadn't read yet, and have enjoyed whole-heartedly. In fact, most of my favorite books appear on that list, and I am still working through it. At 43 (born in 1980), I've finally read the Hiero stories from Sterling Lanier, and I was blown away. They stand in my top 10 of all time, and the way psionics work in Lanier's world is a huge inspiration to me. There are other key books I've yet to read, but I expect I'll find more to love. I can't get enough Appendix N inspired adventures, settings, and games, so I say keep them coming, but not as a primer to D&D, just as a way to keep stuff weird! Vanilla D&D is fine, but one look at the covers you've used in this post makes me yearn for something strange, arcane, even dark. I think going back to the past for inspiration can push the boundaries of the present into areas occasionally ignored, and I like that. Anything that gets us reading is good, of course (not that your post in any way discourages any of that, I'm just a like mind that agrees with you that Appendix N has had a huge effect on).APhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12217149248263672912noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7487871339000666216.post-60807796052376240632024-03-18T00:53:17.820-04:002024-03-18T00:53:17.820-04:00I think Gary probably left it vague on purpose. So...I think Gary probably left it vague on purpose. So you can get allusions to what he might have been inspired by in the works but also not bread crumbing players to think exactly how they should view the game or a fantasy experience. <br /><br />It's similar to how Lovecraft himself cleverly uses allusion to describe the horrors in most of his works... because spelling it out directly, or thinking you have direct knowledge of the thing ruins the MYSTIQUE and terror.<br /><br />Karlhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06816975649174987528noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7487871339000666216.post-73551074843971201012024-03-07T22:18:12.076-05:002024-03-07T22:18:12.076-05:00I reached out as well and he says he is fine. Just...I reached out as well and he says he is fine. Just dealing with life stuff. Will be back at some point. Which is great to hear.Norwegian Bluehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06449040444591006529noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7487871339000666216.post-24802841560823570692024-03-07T12:59:36.082-05:002024-03-07T12:59:36.082-05:00I just emailed him with a wellness check.I just emailed him with a wellness check.michaeljpastorhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16947206255545619757noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7487871339000666216.post-76692680898413990002024-03-05T20:02:13.024-05:002024-03-05T20:02:13.024-05:00I've been concerned for some time. But I'm...I've been concerned for some time. But I'm not a patreon or anything so I don't know how to reach out and check on him. I hope we hear something (preferably good news) soon.Norwegian Bluehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06449040444591006529noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7487871339000666216.post-31301438349004599312024-03-05T17:39:10.835-05:002024-03-05T17:39:10.835-05:00James hasn't posted in more than a month. I...James hasn't posted in more than a month. I'm starting to get concerned....TexasGMhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02284497568566278638noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7487871339000666216.post-72624537733462633162024-03-01T16:56:32.646-05:002024-03-01T16:56:32.646-05:00Apparently, Jon Peterson, personally, still choose...Apparently, Jon Peterson, personally, still chooses to celebrate it on the last Sunday of January, which this year is the 28th [1]. In related news, Peterson's first book, "Playing at the World" gets a re-issue/second edition [2]. So you finally won't have to pay +$400 USD to get a second-hand copy of the first edition of the book.<br /><br />[1]<br />https://playingattheworld.blogspot.com/2024/01/d-turns-50-and-something-else-turns-200.html<br /><br />[2]<br />https://mitpress.mit.edu/9780262548779/playing-at-the-world-2e/Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12991003032357821603noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7487871339000666216.post-28040333593180925662024-02-28T02:18:53.611-05:002024-02-28T02:18:53.611-05:00I have always loved Expedition to the Barrier Peak...I have always loved Expedition to the Barrier Peaks. I was too young to play D&D when it came out, but I would read my brother's books (as best I could), trying to puzzle it out. I was grateful to acquire all of his D&D books when he was done with them.<br /><br />Later, S3 became a part of my homebrew campaign, and a core part of it's ancient lore. <br /><br />Like you, I've always been intrigued by that Mind Flayer, and that too became part of my campaign.<br /><br />If I remember correctly, the mind flayer was sucked into Grayhawk at the same time as the spaceship was, coming from another dimension (or alternate reality) himself.<br /><br />The gear he's wearing isn't Mind Flayer gear, but simply the weapons and equipment that he was able to scavenge off of the wrecked spaceship (which tickles my simulationist heart).<br /><br />I've been intrigued by this sort of sci-fi mashup that brings both lasers and robots and Lovecraftian horror to the fantasy world of Grayhawk, and I integrated this vibe into my own homebrewed campaign that weaves old school modules together (with enhanced story elements and fleshed out NPCs, since most fo these modules were bare bones affairs).Slipjointhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02006206518201438903noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7487871339000666216.post-55163431424676942572024-02-27T10:09:03.932-05:002024-02-27T10:09:03.932-05:00The best edition of Boot Hill.
; )The best edition of Boot Hill.<br />; )JBhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03263662621289630246noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7487871339000666216.post-63164977525660969722024-02-26T23:20:40.605-05:002024-02-26T23:20:40.605-05:00The Boot Hill 2e rulebook is available on Drive Th...The Boot Hill 2e rulebook is available on Drive Thru RPG as a print-on-demand.Nathan M.https://www.blogger.com/profile/01609440176050002324noreply@blogger.com