Thanks for watching! Get more Web DM: patreon.com/webdm Get Theros: amzn.to/2UT6VOI Read some Pulp and help us out: Clark Ashton Smith Collection: amzn.to/3hydOPg Tales of a Dying Earth by Jack Vance: amzn.to/2YHpOFr Conan the Cimmerian Complete Weird Tales Omnibus: amzn.to/30SsRx9 The Complete Works of Lovecraft: amzn.to/2YIdlBw

- You know what they call a Gnoll in Faerun? - What do they call them? - A royale with fleas.

Thanks for mentioning Fritz Leiber, his stories really are d&d stories. There is basically no translation necessary. It's also very easy to find them as audio recordings on KZfaq, should you be so inclined.

I feel like no other D&D KZfaqrs are making content quite like this. I never know what video is coming next and I'm never disappointed! Love the extended conversation about Vance and this video has me so excited to read some of the other mentioned authors' works as well.

I could listen to Jim Davis talk about pulp fiction for hours.

WebDM: Today we're going to be talking about the Pulp Fiction elements in D&D WotC the Next Day: Today we're going to be removing some of the unsavory Pulp Fiction elements in D&D I love you guys.

I think it'd be pretty interesting to see Tarantino's take on a D&D campaign.

I never leave an episode of this show without heaps of inspiration

Great video as always! I'm surprised that Moorcock didn't feature more. He is, in my opinion, one of the titans of pulp fantasy, and massively influenced D&D, from the very presence of alignment to things like the Hand of Vecna...

As long as I live, there will be a demand for pulp fiction. R.I.P. H.P.Lovecraft and R.E.Howard

Dump that pulpy goodness into my brainpan, WebDM. (Also thank you for doing this - I just lost my dog and I need a freaking distraction)

A published third-party setting I never tire of telling people about is Primeval Thule by Sasquatch Game Studio (Richard Baker's outfit). Set in an alternate prehistory of Earth, it's pulp roots are deep. Based heavily on Robert E. Howard's work, it's very literally set in a time after "the oceans drank Atlantis". But it also borrows from Lovecraft, Burroughs and many other classic pulp sources. Hell, Thule's Elves are pretty clearly based on Michael Moorcock's Melniboneans (ie. Elric's people). As well as being a great example of setting design by _removing_ options rather than creating new ones - only one type of Elf, one type of Dwarf, one type of Halfling plus Humans (though Atlanteans are technically an extra race) - it also adds to the Background mechanic (or "Heroic Narrative" as the setting calls it) additional features based on character level. So things like attracting followers are built into PC mechanics (for many of the Backgrounds anyway). BTW, there is actually a Heroic Narrative for that most classic of pulp tropes: the person from "our world" pulled into a fantastic one. Check it out. I challenge you to be unimpressed. richardbakerauthor.com/sasquatch-game-studio/

I feel like Tolkien's influence on D&D is mostly derived from his influence on fantasy as a whole.

So GLAD I found you guys. Your videos are so amazing and every topic is so quality. If I had a make a wish goal, it would be to play DnD with you guys! Your just amazing!

This is a great Episode. You suggested the Dresden Files some time ago. i got it on audible. The voice actor and the story. It is my favorit books right next to Elric books. i am so excited to look at Clark Ashton Smith. Thanks guys!

I read Jack Vance about a year ago on your guys recommendation and loved it. Definitely going to seek out more of your mentions.

I love the utterly weird and mysterious way that pulp fiction presents sorcery and magic, it feels very ominous and unknown, and I greatly prefer that over hard magic systems. Also, Smith's Zothique and Hyperborea stories have a fantastic tone to them, especially thanks to his dense and evocative descriptions.

I'm going to have to add a wizard named Neovancian to my world now

Great episode! One thing I have found from Pulp Fantasy is this sheer creativity - often in the form of weirdness. It's a type of freedom that you rarely find in other genres. You might have hit the nail on the head with "games in the backyard" - it taps into that same nostalgic childhood feeling of limitless potential, and the Great Unknown being an inviting place of adventure,

Karl Edward Wagner and Kane. Such a cool fantastical grim dark tone and a masterclass in multiple colorful “NPCs”

The Miskatonic University's t-shirt is just right for the topic

Clark Ashton Smith! Jack Vance! Fritz Leiber! (and hpl and reh...). It's all about my favorites authors :)

I appreciate Jim Davis' love of Clark Ashton Smith, he's so damn good

I laughed more than i should have when Jim mentioned he wasn't talking about pulp orange juice at the beginning 😆

"Ah, man! I just shot Marvin in the face."

Weirdness. Weirdness is what fantasy has forgotten. We need much more weirdness.

hot diggity, do i love pulp fiction! Fast action, personal stakes, dirty and messy!

Love that you did this video. I grew up on Pulp fiction without knowing what it was. My father bought the books when he was a child, and I read them from his library. To this day Pulp has a much bigger influence on my characters and settings than more modern fantasy does. Fritz Leiber is probably my favorite fantasy author, and Fafhrd and the Grey Mouser my favorite heroes.

Great stuff! I play a lot of Dungeon Crawl Classics and Barbarians of Lemuria which are both very influenced by the weird fantasy of Appendix N. Awesome episode!

I'm not sure if you'd really call it "pulp", but I definitely like some lowbrow fantasy stuff. In my case, it's generally Shaw Brothers kung fu flicks and cheesy 80s fantasy movies.

I would add Gene Wolfe to the list of lesser known but still hugely influential writers. His Books of the New Sun rival Vance's Dying Earth stories in my opinion.

Sometimes I feel like this show is just taking part in my mind and Jim and Pruitt make up my different dnd mindsets.

My favorite D&D settings tend to be on the pulpy side: Spelljammer, Dark Sun, and Eberron in particular.

Very good episode. I was so immersed in the descriptions of interesting plots and characters that I forgot for a moment that I was watching a show about D&D tips.

I will repeat a subtle rune And thronging suns of otherwhere Shall blaze upon the blinded air And spectres terrible and fair Shall wake the riven world at noon CAS is also a Verbal Spell Component repository

Now, *this* is history! Thanks very much, you guys. This was fascinating. :)

Fafrhd and the Gray Mouser is pure DnD at its very best

"The big two--Lovecraft and Howard"

Clark Ashton Smith was what I was reading when my friends were reading Conan stories back in the 70s. If I ever put zombies in a game, they will be Smith's zombies, and my favorite wizards I always name Malygris. If I could just capture the feel of Zothique in a game I would be delighted.

Thanks for really doing justice to the Dying Earth series, warts and all. They're some of my favorite stories, and there's not much I could say about them that wasn't said here. The setting is wildly imaginative and almost a character in its own right, the way it's front and center in everything that happens. I find Vance's exploration of what a society would be like if everyone in it knew they could be living their very last moments very believable. With maybe two or three exceptions, the characters are all deeply amoral (or worse). But the author doesn't praise or condone any of the awful behavior; no wicked deed goes unpunished, either by the victims or by Fate; there is a strong karmic force running through the stories.

I found an Ashton Smith collection on Kindle for a dollar after watching this.

I think this is one of your best episodes yet. Really enjoyed it!

Love the Miskatonic University shirt!

Absolutely love the documentary footage of the pulp paper process, adds a nice educational touch to the video.

Awesome video guys! I waited for a long time for you to cover this topic. :D

I've been loving Three Hearts and Three Lions so far. Hulga just defeated a dragon using thermodynamics and I couldn't be happier.

Great episode boys, awesome recommendations. Love the editing too.

Thank you guys for telling me about Jack Vance. Since I discovered webdm I have read all of the Dying Earth series and man it might be my new favorite book series. Check it out if you havent.

This has been my fav Web DM ever!

I always love when you give source material. I put Three Hearts and Three Lions on my reading list.

Great to see this being brought up. And yeah Clark Ashton Smith, or Fritz Lieber stories really could be DnD sessions.

I love how, at least when you're not in the middle of a series, you ALWAYS seem to put out a video exactly on what I've been thinking about recently. Trying to get my campaign off the ground and I was just thinking about media inspiration and how I've been using the wrong kind, and lo and behold, here you guys come to the rescue again.

As always your timing is perfect for my game plans.

I re-skinned D&D 5e to play out some pulp adventures once. It's works surprisingly well, as long as you're ready to look at the classes and equipment with a non-literal eye.

So glad you guys made this Video! I'm telling my friends for ages why I think pulps are awesome, but I've not been able to articulate it as well as this video has. I'm currtently looking for ways to get my hands on the John Carter stuff.

Awesome video! You can tell Jim is in his element talking about these authors. Enthusiasm like his can easily lead to darn good D&D! I think more players and especially GMs should be reading Appendix N authors. They are the foundation upon which the D&D edifice is built.

It took 3 weeks and many hours, but The Quest is finally over. I have watched every video on the current 242 to completion. Thank you Web Dm for many, many, MANY, hours of content....I suppose now is the time to head over to Web DM plays to begin The Quest anew.

Never have I ever been this early for anything!

Playing a bloodhunter w a hardboiled detective bg in a horror campaign and pulp was definitely my main source material for the tone. Thanks for all the name drops. Will be definitely tracking these down

I’ve been filling my book cue with Robert E. Howard stories. I’ll get around to Jack Vance at some point.

The Compleat Enchanter by L. Sprague de Camp and Fletcher Pratt is also the source of a lot of D&Disms, including the typologies of giants and dragons and the simulacrum spell.

Fafhrd! Greymouser! Conan!

The Dying Earth mindset is similar to the cautionary movie On The Beach where people in Australia are waiting for the radiation belt to kill them after WW3

I listened to the audiobooks by Jack Vance with Cugel and when I talked about them to a book club later on, the best way I could describe Cugel is "he's just...the worst. The absolute worst. You hate him for everything bad he does, you laugh at his misfortune, but then you're also hoping he gets back up so that he can be smacked down again."

I'm a 9th Level Neo-Vancer. Fear my wrath!

The Seven Geases by clark ashton smith was a fantastic read and I recommend it as well.

I guess Moorecocke is not of the "pulp" era? The Elric saga has been a huge influence on my game and I've started picking up supplements from the Elric! RPG

I don't know sometimes reading a simple story is soothing for me, I don't have to think much about the story. it's not the same as reading say Game of Throne, because it has less complicated baggage. I don't know if that counts but Jules Verne.....i come across very few people who have read Jules Verne especially the younger generation.

this was really great. i especially love the fact you acknowledge that the subject matter is problematic, and also affirming that rather than reading these you can always steep yourself in what is inspiring to yourself. another great show on the books

I feel like vancian magic is better represented in 3.5 dnd's epic level magic system. Stuff was crazy powerful and you would only have a few slots.

First Story I read from Clark Ashton Smith, was The Abominations of Yondo. omg hooked from there. He is way to underrated in the genre

Appreciate the topic!

DM: You fail your perception check, and so a guy jumps out the closet and get a surprise attack. He rolls....a 1, critical failure. All six of his shots miss at point blank range. What do you do? JULES: I make a WIS check, I roll...a 17. It was a goddamn miracle!. VINCE: I make a wisdom check, I roll a 5. Looks like coincdence to me, so I just shoot the guy. I roll an 18. DM: That guy had 1 HP so he's dead. On the drive home what do you do? VINCE: I ask Marvin what he thinks happened. DM: Make a CHA roll. VINCE: Aww, I roll a 1, a critical failure on a CHA check, what happens?

I JUST noticed the ring of RPG dice outlining the discussion table.

David Eddings isn’t really “pulp fiction” but his books are a huge influence for me. His writing style is very practical and also one of the first fantasy series to portray strong female roles. This influence comes from his wife who co-wrote much of the work. The Elenium series is good inspiration for knights, paladins, and warrior types. But my favorite is the portrayal of a thieves guild and a strong understanding of how it complements society rather then opposes it. The thieves understand how government stability is a good thing, and are therefore loyal to the society and defend it, essentially becoming a spy network. The Belgariad series is also great, specifically for the portrayal of specific archetypes. Silk, a thief assassin and spy who demonstrates proper use of disguise self and developing an extensive spy network. Barak, a totem barbarian that when raging, transposes with the spirit of a bear against his will. Mandorallen, a classic knight with a clear code of honor. Belgarath and his daughter Polgara, both sorcerers but also perhaps druids, for their shape change abilities. And many more profound characters. Just well done stories and worth a read. Thanks for all you do @webdm

Fafhrd and the Grey Mouser each have their own "shadowy" patrons; Ningauble of the seven eyes, and Sheelba the eyeless, I believe the Leomund's tiny hut spell was inspired by one of them

You guys are in the same room together again!

Dude falls off a spiders web at the end of the Clark Ashton story.

I think another reason to dip into pulp fiction is to capture that sense of mystery and anti-logic. Modern fantasy has a tendency to codify and systematize everything. While it can be a good intellectual exercise and can provide for stories where solving a hard SF/hard fantasy problem is the source of tension and catharsis, it also makes this stuff so much more mundane. Unlike a pulp story, where you have no way of knowing what a thing is or how it works. It's terrifying and wondrous and weird and beautiful.

You've come a hell of a long way from Garfield, guy.

Sword and Sorcery babyyy

So here's an idea I think sounds like it'd be fun. Play a campaign (probably single player) where you're a wizard, but you don't get to add spells to your spellbook when you level up. Instead, you level up when you find spells. So maybe you start with a few basic spells. Either roll randomly or let the DM pick or something like that. Then you go on adventures, quests, favors for other wizards to gain more spells. Once you learn 2 spells of a level you can cast, you level up. Maybe you can do some downtime research for certain spells too, but there would be some spells you can only gain from adventures. If your DM is nice, they might even let you invent some of your own spells! Maybe there's some over-arching story, or maybe not. I'm imagining more of a Westmarches style campaign. If you've got other non-wizard players in your party, then maybe they work for you. You have to pay them, like hirelings, and maybe they level up normally from xp, or maybe they have some other cool condition they need to meet, related to their class. Or maybe they don't level up until you get your spells. Their success is dependent upon their ability to protect you and help you achieve your goals.

At 13.58 you mention Gygax leaving Jack Vance off the list. Gygax loved Jack Vance and he is listed on Appendix N. I also think Clark Ashton smith is listed there also.

isnt fritz lieber's "fahfka and the mouser" what terry pratchett parodies in the first chapter of "the color of magic"?

Pulp Art: Literal coolest thing ever Normies: This Fucking Sucks Actually!

Gygax had said that he didn’t like Tolkien, it was his successors that really tried to use Tolkien stuff. Gygax said he didn’t like how nitty gritty Tolkien’s works were. He wanted DnD to be pulp fantasy, not Tolkienesque

This was a really great episode of WebDM, good job guys. Besides the helpful commentary I thought the supporting pictures were helpful in understanding what you were talking about as well as the short video clips. I'm not sure whether there would have been copyright issues but when you mentioned names like Earl Otis I had to pause the video to look up his art to continue following the dialogue. This isn't a huge problem by any means but I think it might be helpful to just include a flash of the artists work to show it off while continuing the conversation. Out of curiosity do you know where classes like the Ranger and the Sorcerer got their origin? I've been working on an essay that's about how I think that characters that take up a D&D class have a quality that has nothing to do with the listed class abilities and I'm struggling with finding the inspiration for the Ranger and the Sorcerer. As a summary I think that the idea of having "The Quest" is what sets aside a Paladin from other characters. The need to gamble or toss the dice of fate is integral to what it means to have the panache of the Rogue. Even though Wizards and Clerics are often seen as two full casters that are pretty similar mechanically I think they're almost polar opposites because a Wizard is defined by a question, or a thirst for some knowledge- it's a constant ambrosia for them. In contrast the Cleric is defined by having knowledge and their journey is to spread that knowledge as a prophet. Fighters and Barbarians are both defined by a need to fight, however to me a Fighter fights to prove something to themselves or the world. I don't think a mercenary that just fights for gold accurately describes the modern fighter anymore- features like action surge, indomitable, and second wind tell me that there's something more to the fighter than just his skillset, there's a certain resolve or grit that drives them forward and forces them to fight against the world whether they want to or not. Barbarians on the other hand I think are defined by the struggle to survive against a world that wants to conquer them. They're constantly under an assault to become domesticated and suppress their nature that has been honed by a need to survive in a fierce wilderness where only the strong survive. Druids are defined by the purpose to maintain- to maintain the natural territory in their control, to maintain balance, to maintain tradition- druids preserve the old and make sure things aren't lost to radical change. Bards are defined by the fact that more than any other class they're aware of the story happening around them. They're aware that their comrades are the heroes of a new generation and that these are times where history is being made. Finally to me- Monks aren't just people that punch stuff. I think the core defining trait of a character that takes up the Monk class is a desire to change themselves and become something they're not. Its the struggle for discipline, to emulate great monks that have found inner peace or great physical prowess, it's a desire to shape themselves and reforge their own being. Sorry for the long winded response but I just don't know about rangers and sorcerers- I find them difficult to pin down as having a personal arc tied to their archetype.

I remember a CAS influenced d&d adventure. Castle Amber?

I've always been partial to Roger Zelazny, especially (but not limited to) the Amber series.

Fantastic reading recommendations, my fellow foot lovers

I remember the first time I read Conan. I was completely pulled in until one story just hit me with a freight train of racism. Which is why I really appreciate the disclaimer. I'm with Jim about Dying Earth just making me love the concept that kind of magic and point of light worlds. It's also why I prefer Kull over Conan.

Fafardh is technically a bard.

So........... Less pulp, more recent, but I HIGHLY recommend Richard A. Knaak. He's such an amazing author. He's even wizards affiliated. Though I've never read any of his wotc books I know him primarily from his Blizzard books. I've always had every intention of reading Dragonlance, but never got around to it.

I thought what Pruitt started with 🤣

God bless you Pruitt

Fathad and the Gray Mouser rule.

Hey I grew up on Choose your own adventure books and I really didn't need more books that I need to buy compulsively even though I'm out of a job.

Clark Ashton Smith is a SEVERELY underrated writer when compared to his contemporary writers like Lovecraft and Howard.

"Hey there fellow foot lovers~" I want to die.

I would love too see a tabletop style game based on Roger Zelazny and the amber books. That would be kick ass.