What to read for inspiration?

[Shining Wrath]

My campaign is moving on to mid-levels; currently 8th and I have ideas for the near term. But for the slightly longer term, I could use a little inspiration.

What do you recommend I read to get ideas for entertaining my players at levels, say,10 through 13?

Party consists of: Conjurer, 4 Elements Monk, Moon Druid, Lore Bard, Grappler Fighter, Hunter Ranger (updated to UA).

[CaptainSarathai]

Honestly, for that party - Wuxia films. 'Journey to the East,' 'The Four,' - try to find the really crazy stuff (the Four is like a Chinese 'League of Extraordinary Gentlemen' though, you should watch it anyway).

It's closest to what you'd see from higher level fights anyway - these guys are going to be flying soon, and they should be fighting bigger stuff than classic Tolkienisms like goblins and so on.

[ruy343]

OOTS? The characters in the latter half of the thus-far-presented comics are definitely high level, and the comic does a good job of presenting meaningful villains of appropriate level.

[Shining Wrath]

OOTS? The characters in the latter half of the thus-far-presented comics are definitely high level, and the comic does a good job of presenting meaningful villains of appropriate level.

What? Never heard of it.

This is, of course, intended to be funny

[DizzyWood]

What? Never heard of it.

This is, of course, intended to be funny

Ummmmm..... you jest good sir? Surely you must!

[DizzyWood]

Ummmmm..... you jest good sir? Surely you must!

Ugh!!!! You suck... but in a good way

[Sicarius Victis]

Ugh!!!! You suck... but in a good way

I don't know, I found it amusing.
Maybe that's because I didn't fall for it the way you did.
Seriously, though, how didn't you notice that while typing your reply?

[Safety Sword]

I find these books highly inspiring and have based many campaigns along their lines: The Artefacts of Power Series - Maggie Furey (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Artefacts_of_Power)

[JAL_1138]

What to read for Inspiration? PHB, page 125, paragraphs 1-3; and DMG, pages 240-241.

[Sicarius Victis]

What to read for Inspiration? PHB, page 125, paragraphs 1-3; and DMG, pages 240-241.

Helpful.
No, seriously, I almost mean it.
In all seriousness, though, try some Forgotten Realms and Dragonlance novels. Reading about other settings might help. Also of use are the Tales from the Table (http://tabletitans.com/tales), a collection of people's most amazing/amusing RPG experiences.

[2D8HP]

Also of use are the , a collection of people's most amazing/amusing RPG experiences.
Here's the link:
[url=http://tabletitans.com/tales]Tales from the Table ("http://tabletitans.com/tales"Tales from the Table[/URL)

[Sicarius Victis]

Here's the link:
Tales from the Table (http://tabletitans.com/tales)

Thanks for pointing that out, I didn't even notice what I'd done wrong there.

[JAL_1138]

Helpful.
No, seriously, I almost mean it.

Sorry. Had to. The joke was too lame not to make.


On a more serious note, I would love to recommend Discworld, but a lot of it is more dungeonpunk/parodic-fantasy-noir than midlevel. That said, there's still some really good worldbuilding and characterization inspiration to be found there if you look at it more generally instead of borrowing much from the action. Those books have colored a significant amount of my gaming for a long time.

More recent lower-midlevel gaming that might be worth looking at is the Dice Camera Action streams and the 5e-era Acquisitions Inc. live games. DMed by WotC's Chris Perkins (with a couple of exceptions in Acq. Inc.), a bit below that level range in the most recent DCAs and in 5e Acq. Inc. but generally entertaining. The Acq. Inc. party has enough magic items and special abilities that they might as well be 10+.

[Socratov]

You know, a lot of fantasy has been spawned, some sword an dsourcery, some a bit more gritty and others high magic.

for a more worldbuiding focused series of novels Diskworld gives great examples how a kitchensink of fantasy races can live together in a metropolis.

Lord of the Rings is nothing, if not gritty fantasy with little magic in the party, but instead a dependancy on magic items.

As for High Magic, you might want to check out Hawk and Fisher, Wheel of Time of anything by Raymond E. Feist. A nice series I like is Towers of Romander by W. J. Maryson (dunno if the complete series is availble in English as the author is Dutch).

You can also go to Goodreads.com and thumb through all of the shelves which can often be quite fun to go through as you will definitely find some unexpected gems.

[Zaydos]

Well Jack Vance's Dying Earth stories are a great source of inspiration for D&D in general, not the most for 4 elements monk or a grappler fighter. Fafhrd and the Gray Mouser is more low level, though might work for 10-13 in 5e (worked for about that range in AD&D). There's always Conan. Wheel of Time has already been suggested, though as a warning it's a massive read, and Glen Cook's The Black Company could be good but again little lower power level. Dragonlance also works, I'd suggest the original trilogy, and the Legend of Huma.

I will however suggest something a little different (here read the stuff the other stuff being suggested all ripped off long before and after Tolkien ripped it off).

Hrolf Kraki's Saga. I prefer Poul Anderson's 'Novelization' (he took from multiple sources where the primary saga was unclear, how this differs from a translation is unclear to me), though any version is pretty good. It's a bit lower magic, but still manages to have the original werebear, and... well won't spoil things. I'd suggest it over the more famous (and in my opinion not as good) Volsunga Saga.

Also the Norse eddas in general. The journey to Utgard Loki would be a favorite suggestion of mine, no real combat in it, but a lot of tricksy magic which might serve as inspiration.

[Batou1976]

The Witcher series of novels by Andrzej Sapkowski and/or the games by CD Projekt. All your standard fantasy races™ are there, but without the standard fantasy status quo. The world is detailed and engaging, and the characters are not your standard Dumb Jock Fighter® or Wise Bookish Wizard® (though Dandelion is THE gold standard for D&D bards :smallbiggrin: ). It should fit well with 5E- Geralt is clearly an EK fighter, and is an itinerant monster-slayer-for-hire who is not supposed to involve himself in politics yet somehow gets caught in them ALL. THE. TIME. How is that not perfect for D&D? :smallsmile:

[Shining Wrath]

Thanks to everyone. It's been years since I read Wheel of Time, I stopped about the book where the thief whose name I no longer recall started channeling uber-generalship. Also, I found Wheel to be basically low-tech Dune, but of course YMMV. I read the first Discworld novel with Teena Brown ages ago, but I get the idea that Teena and her fella had further adventures.

Now, for the Free Time Fairy to make a delivery so I can take advantage of some of this good advice!

[Zaydos]

Thanks to everyone. It's been years since I read Wheel of Time, I stopped about the book where the thief whose name I no longer recall started channeling uber-generalship. Also, I found Wheel to be basically low-tech Dune, but of course YMMV.

I liked Wheel of Time and while the myrdraal, channeling, and dozen fairly well defined magic systems (all of which inferior to channeling) simulate the lower reaches of high level (traditionally 9th+) fairly well, 'low-tech Dune' is a pretty good summary though I'd make it 'low-tech Dune is invaded by Sauron'.


I read the first Discworld novel with Teena Brown ages ago, but I get the idea that Teena and her fella had further adventures.

Now, for the Free Time Fairy to make a delivery so I can take advantage of some of this good advice!

I don't remember who Teena Brown was.

[Socratov]

I liked Wheel of Time and while the myrdraal, channeling, and dozen fairly well defined magic systems (all of which inferior to channeling) simulate the lower reaches of high level (traditionally 9th+) fairly well, 'low-tech Dune' is a pretty good summary though I'd make it 'low-tech Dune is invaded by Sauron'.



I don't remember who Teena Brown was.

I have a feeling he means Tiffany Aching.

[Zaydos]

I have a feeling he means Tiffany Aching.

That makes sense, my first thought was the heroine of Equal Rites who did have a thing with Ridcully in that book, but who did not have further adventures as the events of the book was never referenced again and outright contradicted.

[Shining Wrath]

Colossal brain spasm on my part - Teela Brown was from Ringworld, by Larry Niven. She was possessed of near infinite luck.

[Zaydos]

Colossal brain spasm on my part - Teela Brown was from Ringworld, by Larry Niven. She was possessed of near infinite luck.

... That's why the name was familiar.

I need to read the sequels to that, Niven's Known World books that I've read have both been good, and actually Ringworld does have some things that make really good D&D inspiration (I'd still suggest Jack Vance over it, but they're good).

If you want something half-way between Ringworld and Discworld you could read Strata Terry Pratchett's pre-Discworld book set on a Discworld which was a parody of Niven's Ringworld books.

Also I feel the need to mention Phillip Jose Farmer's Riverworld books as similar to Ringworld (dead people from all across history wake up on a giant artificial world with no idea of why), though not my first suggestion for D&D inspiration (E. R. Burroughs's John Carter of Mars series would be a bit better for that, and Ringworld as well iirc).

[JAL_1138]

That makes sense, my first thought was the heroine of Equal Rites who did have a thing with Ridcully in that book, but who did not have further adventures as the events of the book was never referenced again and outright contradicted.

The heroines of Equal Rites were Granny Weatherwax (strongest witch of the Disk since Black Aliss Demurrage) and Eskarina Smith (the first female wizard); Granny stars in several books, but Esk disappeared for quite a while. She eventually shows back up in one of the Tiffany Aching books.

Archchancellor Ridcully, however, wasn't introduced until Moving Pictures, long after Equal Rites. A wizard named Cutangle was Archancellor of UU at the time of Equal Rites.

Granny Weatherwax and Ridcully had a bit of a thing in the past that never went anywhere, and rekindled a little affection (again without it going anywhere, because their life circumstances had changed so drastically since they were young) in Lords and Ladies.

I've read a lot (not all, but a lot) of the Discworld books and I can't recall any character, even a side character, by the name of Teena Brown. (edit: addressed in an earlier comment.)

[DizzyWood]

I don't know, I found it amusing.
Maybe that's because I didn't fall for it the way you did.
Seriously, though, how didn't you notice that while typing your reply?

I am pretending to work while I am on here so I keep the window very small. Thats my excuse but in truth I am just kind of dumb. Lol

[DizzyWood]

The Green Rider series by Kristen Britain would be good for a low magic setting. Also the graphic novel Saga while as much scifi as fantasy would be great D&D inspiration.