marycatelli | Entries tagged with role-playing games

Appendix N: The Eldritch Roots of Dungeons and Dragons by Peter Bebergal

A selection of works from the famous D&D Appendix N.

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Crossposts: https://marycatelli.livejournal.com/1262895.html

though a different point this time. . . .

I've seen solemn discussions of magic items in D&D and how the ancestral sword that looked so nifty at third level is outclassed by ninth level when you pick up an ordinary dagger. That the only real way around it was an evolving item that would produce new powers at higher levels.

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Crossposts: https://marycatelli.livejournal.com/1217145.html

was looking at a list of RPG gods and thinking, this list is very like actual pagan gods. You have everything from deities that are next things to abstractions all the way to humans who've undergone apotheosis. So what was bugging me about it as a representation of paganism?

Maybe it was the myths. They were a bit thin (there's not that much scope in a rule book) and consistent, but after all it was a world where the gods could keep the stories straight. . . .

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Crossposts: https://marycatelli.livejournal.com/1212043.html

Was contemplating a book full of monsters and stats. . . .

You don't want to use the omnium-gatherum in a novel. Lacks unity. OTOH, you often don't want to use them in a game. Many discussions recommend paring them down hard.

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Crossposts: https://marycatelli.livejournal.com/1210428.html

An idea popped up. For a story

But the question arose, what would the best modern idea that three modern people could bring to upgrade agriculture and so living in a D&D (sorta) medieval universe? They have crop rotation -- maybe contour plowing? They are at least aware of the circular problem that the people need more food to be able to build the infrastructure to increase agricultural productivity.

And then, what is the best thing they can bring in as their own D&D characters? The decanter of endless water -- endless potable water -- would probably bring about the most change if they could only get enough. But both objects and spellcraft are aimed at adventures.

Crossposts: https://marycatelli.livejournal.com/1205794.html

Mucking about with Gamelit and thieves. Now, the basic skills of a DnD thief are picking locks (and dealing with trapped locks), climbing walls, picking pockets, sneak attacks, and just sneaking about.

Was pondering backstories.
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Crossposts: https://marycatelli.livejournal.com/1205305.html

Was reading a discussion of the making of magic objects in a role-playing game. . . .

The rules tend to be scanty because it's not a very exciting session, but the thing is, making magic objects is probably the most world-changing thing a spell-slinger can do. (Especially if the world has some sort of restriction that actually keeps them as rare as they are by rule fiat in the game.)

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Crossposts: https://marycatelli.livejournal.com/1194114.html

Live to Tell the Tale: Combat Tactics for Player Characters by Keith Ammann

An analysis of what D&D players can do to fight better.

Some discussion of builds, with ability scores and feats and other choices, and character types such as tanks and spellslingers, and discussions of what to do in fights. Heavy on D&D specific elements and terminology.

Splitting the party!

It's a great idea, you should seriously consider it if you have a party in your novel.

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Crossposts: https://marycatelli.livejournal.com/1191257.html

Interesting!

As a DM you can get away with less unity than a novelist needs, but this is discussing the advantages a DM gets in throwing the same monster at the party over and over.

Unity of theme is not mentioned. 0:)

Was pondering how one might justify having a tiny percentage of people be leveled in Gamelit. . . bearing in mind that the adventurers are first level when they set out. . . .
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Crossposts: https://marycatelli.livejournal.com/1188613.html

Was pondering a GameLit world and how many characters would have levels. . . and questions of realism. . . .

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Crossposts: https://marycatelli.livejournal.com/1187862.html

One big difference between the game and the story is in the story time.

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Crossposts: https://marycatelli.livejournal.com/1187008.html

One big problem with clerics in D&D is their name. A cleric is a position in a church.

Now, it's possible that all adventuring clerics have a sinecure in the original sense -- "without cure." That is, a priest serving in a capacity that does not involve ministering to the faithful, with the sacraments. Obviously, this could be a very hard job, not the current sense.
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Crossposts: https://marycatelli.livejournal.com/1186498.html

Mortal Rites by Melissa McShane

Company of Strangers book 3, with spoilers for the earlier ones.

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Crossposts: https://marycatelli.livejournal.com/1185969.html

Been contemplating alignment recently for various reasons.

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Crossposts: https://marycatelli.livejournal.com/1183895.html

Stone of Inheritance by Melissa McShane

Company of Strangers book 2. Spoilers for book 1 ahead

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Crossposts: https://marycatelli.livejournal.com/1180506.html

Novels don't lend themselves as well to a plenitude of magical objects as a game does.

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Crossposts: https://marycatelli.livejournal.com/1178118.html

A novelist choose backstory for the story, not for the mechanical advantages in the game system.

Which means the degree that they conflict with the character will determine how much they drive the plot.

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Crossposts: https://marycatelli.livejournal.com/1171802.html

Company of Strangers by Melissa McShane

Book 1 of a series. Does contain a complete story, though setting the seeds for the next.

Sienne, a young wizard, is looking for a job as a scrapper -- that is, someone who goes to the wilderness to find artifacts from a past, destroyed civilization -- ideally magical ones. After revealing someone cheated at dice, the cheaters come after her, and a rescuer, Dianthe, offers to hire her for a spell she knows.

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Crossposts: https://marycatelli.livejournal.com/1171497.html

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Mary Catelli's Erraticly Updated and Exceedingly Ill-Organized Journal

being chiefly about the written word

Entries tagged with role-playing games

Appendix N

the DM vs the writer, on magic objects

RPG pantheons

the DM vs the writer, monsters

ah world-building

thieves and things

making of magic objects

Live to Tell the Tale

the DM vs the writer

unity and the DM

plot devices and possibility

the DM vs the writer

the DM vs the writer

philosophy of clerics

Mortal Rites

a litany of law, a catalog of chaos

Stone of Inheritance

the DM vs the writer, on magic objects

backstory, RPG vs. novel, again

Company of Strangers

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June 2025

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