Challenge 4, #6 [GLOGtober]
We interrupt our regularly scheduled posting for this breaking post prompted by this GLOGtober prompt: "Essential, non-RPG reading for any GM."
Dying Earth Series by Jack Vance
I must admit I only recently read these books despite spending a considerable amount of time searching libraries for them. That being said, this is the inspiration for magic in original Dungeons and Dragons. It is one of the sources used for the grandfather of all role-playing games, thus making it a great-grandfather in a way.
It shows its age, that's for sure, but one thing I especially love about the Dying Earth series is the magic of Jack Vance's world. I love Vancian magic and I think it is one of the better unique takes on magic. It treats magic as, well, magic; magic is not just "gun but wand". Their is no real-world parallel I can think of to how magic works in Vance's books. Spells are not "ammo"; they are quasi-sentient beings. Vancian magic is, as will be seen over time, the biggest inspiration in how I think magic should work. I love it.
Pretty Much Anything from the Warhammer Universe
I find this universe so over-the-top ridiculous in nearly every aspect. I think there is something inspiring from literally every faction and book in the series, simply because it embraces the absolutely absurd.
- Orks are animals piloted by sentient fungus with incredible psychic powers? Yes!
- Giant death mechs have churches built on top of them? Nice.
- Four chaos gods are so awful just hearing their name makes me want to vomit? Sure, why not?
- A giant cloud of sentient matter is attempting to consume the whole universe by making alien-dinosaurs with guns? Of course they are!
- Mankind can travel through space, in spaceships which resemble boats more than spaceships, at incredible speed through space-tunnels of chaos called "the Warp"? Works for me.
The list goes on. In the grimdark future, everything might get a whole lot worse, but it also gets a whole lot ridiculous, too. I love it for all of its unashamed lunacy.
Closing Comments
These would be my two top choices from the world of fiction. It has also come to my attention that most of the fiction I read (which is very little, honestly) has had negligible impact on my game design or play.