The Original Appendix N (reposted)

Appendix N is the literary wellspring of the DCC RPG. Discuss it here, along with related subjects: D&D history, pulp sci-fi/fantasy magazines, pre-genre literature, etc.

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cthulhudarren
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Re: The Original Appendix N (reposted)

Post by cthulhudarren »

The more Vance I read, the more I think he was Gygax's #1 influence.
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Re: The Original Appendix N (reposted)

Post by Abacus Ape »

Totally agree. If you look at the little vignettes he wrote in the dmg like the spell-for-hire part where he is demonstrating how characters and npcs might interact it comes off as very Vancian indeed, at least in my opinion.

As good as Vance was for D&D, you have to think Gygax paid him back in spades. I wonder how many got turned onto Vance through D&D and Gary Gygax. Gygax talked up Vance any chance he had. And Vance actually used a "Lord Gygax" in the Alastor series.
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Re: The Original Appendix N (reposted)

Post by NJPDX »

The Dying Earth stories were a total revelation for me. Cugel The Clever changed the way I play rogues.
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Clangador
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Re: The Original Appendix N (reposted)

Post by Clangador »

cthulhudarren wrote:The more Vance I read, the more I think he was Gygax's #1 influence.
Vance reminds me a lot of Clark Ashton Smith.

I hope it was an oversight that Appendix N doesn't contain any CAS. His stories scream DCC to me, more so than any other strange fiction I've read.

I am seriously contemplating setting a DCC game in Zothique!
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Re: The Original Appendix N (reposted)

Post by Karaptis »

CAS is my favorite Weird Tales author. I choose to think that Gygax left him out because he was better than all!
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Re: The Original Appendix N (reposted)

Post by Clangador »

Karaptis wrote:CAS is my favorite Weird Tales author. I choose to think that Gygax left him out because he was better than all!
Could be...
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Re: The Original Appendix N (reposted)

Post by Exedor »

finarvyn wrote:There is also the three-volume trade paperback series by Del Ray books:
  • The Coming of Conan the Cimmerian
  • The Conquering Sword of Conan
  • The Bloody Crown of Conan
I like those books quite a bit and you can buy 'em used on Amazon for pretty cheap.
I bought there recently have they have been my subway reading since then. They are a delight and also a portable format. Warning though; they reflect 1930s norms about race.
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Re: The Original Appendix N (reposted)

Post by Judge Perky »

Don't forget the "other" Appendix N... by Moldvay.

"Whereas Gygax's list was a list of the specific books and authors who influenced him in creating the game -- and are thus a window into how he saw the game -- Moldvay's list is a generalized quasi-academic survey of fiction and non-fiction that might hold some interest to players of D&D."

http://www.advanceddungeonsandparenting ... ldvay.html

http://3d6trapsandthieves.blogspot.com/ ... erial.html

http://grognardia.blogspot.com/2008/10/ ... lists.html
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mobro
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Re: The Original Appendix N (reposted)

Post by mobro »

Dang Judge Perky, thanks for posting that! I had completely forgotten that list... seeing it now it answers the question of where I first heard of some of those authors! I remembered the AD&D Appendix N, and the Runequest Appendix N, but I completely forgot that list existed!
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Re: The Original Appendix N (reposted)

Post by soulcatcher78 »

For those of you looking to read some Jack Vance you can pick up the 4 book omnibus edition for kindle for 10.99 on Amazon right now:

https://www.amazon.com/Tales-Dying-Eart ... jack+vance
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Re: The Original Appendix N (reposted)

Post by Griffith »

MOLDVAY!!!
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