Introduction & Appendix N
Hi there! Between enjoying so many of the gaming blogs that are out there and wanting to spend less time doomscrolling, I’ve decided to start my blog. This will likely end up being a repository for half-baked rpg ideas and thoughts about other media, but you never know. My day job is bureaucrat for the traditional arts, so that very well might bleed through, and I’m also a bit of a chronic procrastinator through organization (or at least thinking about organizing) so there’s always of thoughts about that too.
I’m very much a person where the media I enjoy influences what I make and what occupies my brain in spare time. So I think it’s useful to start with my personal Appendix N to give a sense of what kind of things might show up later. Presented in alphabetical order, and with a couple sentences as description. I’ll probably write more about most of these as time goes on, but at least it’s a start!
Bearmit Crab's Appendix N
7th Sea - Role-playing game - First TTRPG I ever ran was in 7th Sea second edition, which I decided was too complex and never ran again. But I love the lore and the setting and can't wait to see what happens with the third edition.
Age of Mythology - PC game - Spent a good chunk of time as a kid playing this with friends. Real time strategy game where you take historical civilizations and have their armies and gods clash. I was all in on Egypt (Isis) and Atlantis (Gaea). Need to get the rerelease and try it out at some point.
A Song of Ice and Fire- Book series - Watched the first season of the show, loved it, read the whole series, got disillusioned with the show after season 3 or 4. Still love the books, even if they’ll never be finished. Biggest period of me engaging with social media and not being a lurker was back in the Tumblr glory days of ASOIAF fandom, being friends with the Sansa/Willas shippers.
Bloody Roar - Video game series- Fighting game series about people that turn into animal people. Only played the GameCube game (had a dude that turned into a penguin that turned into a phoenix), but the game and series stuck with my brain
Cardcaptor Sakura - Manga & Anime - A classic story about a girl who opens a magic book and has to hunt down the magical cards that come out. Probably foundational for my love of card magic/summoning magic/etc… Also, very queer and very fashion focused.
Civilization - Game series - Played III through VI. The grand turn based strategy game. Always been a culture victory person, regardless of what that looks like for that game.
The Dandelion Dynasty - Book series - Fantasy series inspired by Chinese history and legends, rather than the usual inspirations. Great characters, great twists, great look at how technology, politics, and culture intersect and impact each other. Something I’ll always recommend to people.
Delicious in Dungeon - Manga & Anime - Great story about an adventuring party heading down into the mega dungeon. Looks at the impact of the dungeon on society, the ecology of the dungeon, and the importance of nutrition. Can’t wait for season 2 of the anime and see how it adapts the rest of the story.
Die & Die - Loaded - Comic series - Completed comic run and a sequel that just wrapped up its first arc. Goth RPG Jumanji really is the tagline, and a great look at the history of role playing and at gender! Good time, lots of fun, absolutely beautiful to look at. Also has a TTRPG, but I haven’t had a chance to play.
Digimon - Anime - Mostly just Adventure, Adventure 02, and Tamers. Always love a good monster series, digi-egg evolutions and everything about Tamers will perpetually stick in my mind. Also, so many cool designs, even if they all seem to converge on guns/boobs/both.
Dragon Quest - Video game series - All of them, but especially II, III, V, and IX. Absolutely adore the series and its conventions - comfort food as jrpg. Played the GBC III until the cartridge battery died and read the game guide until it fell apart. The HD-2D remake of II is a masterpiece. Also adore the Monsters and Builders side series.
Dungeons & Dragons - Role-playing game - Started with 5e, but I always wanted to play since I saw the Dexter's Lab episode about it as a kid. What I have the most experience running and playing, but I really enjoy reading old rulebooks and setting. Most familiar with Ravenloft, Faerun, and Eberron, but I enjoy all the different settings.
Fire Emblem - Video game series - All of them, but especially Path of Radiance and Radiant Dawn. Turn based strategy, but with little people instead of countries. I encountered Tellius and it permanently occupied a part of my brain. Especially Soren/Ike. Once ran a 5e campaign that pillaged mercilessly from the series and had Almedha as a prominent NPC.
Folklore & Mythology - From anywhere and anytime. I have multiple degrees in this, but specifically Celtic/Welsh folklore, and it’s my job. Feel free to ask me about tall tales or occupational poetry!
Golden Sun - Video game series - I have faith we will one day get a new game! RPG series about elemental mages that features an interesting class system, magic based puzzle solving to get through dungeons, and beautiful summons. Another formative influence.
Howl’s Moving Castle - Book & Film - Story about a girl who ends up involved in the affairs of a self-obsessed wizard. Original book is fantastic, the Studio Ghibli film is fantastic. Recommend both, but the book wins out for using the most ridiculous Welsh folk song.
Kiki’s Delivery Service - Film - First Studio Ghibli film I ever saw. Coming of age story of a young witch who moves to the big city and deals with burnout. Comfort film, would love to use as inspiration for a low stakes campaign. Fukuo is goals.
Lego - Toy - A large chunk of my childhood was building Lego and I still have a bunch to build. For large parts of my childhood they were arranged thematically around the basement to make up different regions and I would make up stories of them visiting different regions. The Egyptian archaeology sets were a staple, as were all the castle sets.
Lost Kingdoms - Video game series - 2 game series on GameCube. In both, you play as a young woman with a magical runestone that lets you summon monsters with cards. They either come out and do one big fancy effect, run around independently, function as a weapon attack, or transform you into them for a short period of time. Super neat, super interesting, hope it gets a rerelease one day.
Lord of the Rings - Book series - I’m including the Hobbit and Silmarillion here. Foundational in many ways, tried to learn Elvish once, did an assignment in 8th grade English in it (Jabberwocky madlibs).
Magic the Gathering - Card game - One of the newest obsessions. Card game that features a whole bunch of fun lore and settings. Love the designs and it’s a good way to meet people. Very much a Vorthos and I love going back and reading old lore. Degenerate Shrine player, but mostly so I can have a Glimmer typal deck. One day the lore will give me a story about an Innsitradi who grows increasing exasperated as they experience other planes and how they're not deathtraps.
Magus of the Library - Manga - Ongoing series about a poor boy who aspires to be a librarian. Fascinating world building, beautifully done, interesting plot with lots of politics and magic slowly entering it as the protagonist ages. Great frame and foreshadowing and I can’t wait to see how it develops.
Monstress - Comic - Absolutely beautiful ongoing fantasy comic about a little fox girl and her fucked up found family. Okay, Kippa might not technically be the lead, but I do think she is central to everything. Has a little bit of everything (politics! magic! technology! necromancer cats! old gods! lesbians!) for everyone.
The Mummy - Movie series - Classic adventure series about a librarian and a scoundrel. I will accept the 3rd one as a thing that happened and enjoy it because it’s wacky, but the first two are great movie comfort food.
Once & Future - Comic - Completed comic series about a man learns his grandma fights monsters. And asks the question of when you bring back an Arthur who wants to make Britain for the Britons, what does he do to the English?
The Old Kingdom - Book series - Fantasy series about a family of Necromancers who put down the dead. Based in a fantasy world that borders a 1920s-era England-like world and gets a lot out of the two worlds colliding. Great fun, great worldbuilding.
Pokémon - Game series - Started with Blue and I’m still here. Classic series, prefer other monster training games, but still a good time. Would be some kind of fairy/water/ice type trainer who studies the legendary and mythical 'mon in the region.
Princess Mononoke - Movie - Studio Ghibli film about a cursed man heading to explore historic Japan. Great visuals, great story, great morally grey characters.
Princess Tutu - Anime - Series about a duck who wishes she was a ballerina who is also a magical princesses finding the missing pieces of a storybook prince's heart through the power of dance. Great story about the power of stories and great character work. Devastating. "May those who accept their fate find happiness. May those who defy it find glory."
Revolutionary Girl Utena - Anime - Classic series about the rose duels, a series of fights at Ohtori Academy over ownership of the Rose Bride and the power to revolutionize the world. Gets wonderfully weird and absurd and great characters and thematic throughlines.
Sailor Moon - Anime & Manga - Another classic series about magical girls. Inspiration for lots of other things on this list, but also great on its own. Probably the source of my love for stories about main characters whose main trait is their unlimited kindness and hope.
Singing Hills Cycle - Book series - Ongoing series of novellas about a archivist and cleric who travels the world collecting stories and histories. Wonderful mix of oral history and fantasy.
Stratego Legends - Board game - It's the board game Stratego, but in a fantasy world with different factions and the units are more than just numbers - they're fantasy creatures with different abilities. Was a blast to play with friends, but I'd also just set it up and play by myself and come up with stories to go along with it. Only child problems.
Soul Calibur - Video game series - Series of video games about the clash between 2 magical swords (one good, one evil) and those who seek to wield them. Played the second one on Gamecube the most, but have done many a deep dive into the series' wiki and played other games. I loved the fact that they had more in-depth story modes and were telling a grand narrative that would make a great TTRPG plot.
Tales of Symphonia - Video game - I enjoy a lot of Tales of games, but this was my first and the one that sticks with me the most. Story of a young woman chosen to save her world, and the companions she finds along the way. Most confusing scene about the temperature of a mug ever.
Tower Dungeon - Manga - Ongoing series about a group of adventurers attempting to rescue a captured princess from a tower. Very old school TTRPG vibes, great visuals, can't wait to see where this goes.
The Wicked + The Divine - Comic series - What if the gods were pop stars? Great completed comic series about creativity, the power of inspiration, cycles, celebrity culture, and what it means to make art. Cannot recommend enough.
Witch Hat Atelier - Manga & anime - Ongoing manga with a recently released anime. About a young girl who always longed to be a witch, and then becomes a one under traumatic circumstances. The trauma and wonder continue. Great series about creativity and art and how to deal with unjust systems that you understand exist for a reason. Beautiful art and character work.
Xena: Warrior Princess - TV show - Classic action adventure tv show about lesbians. A warlord seeks redemption through saving people, accompanied by her bardic friend/lover. Lots of adventure and fun reinterpretations of global mythology by the end. Has a trans woman beat Xena in a impersonation contest of herself.
X-Men (Krakoan Era) - Comic series - I enjoy X-Men/Marvel stuff in general, but the Krakoan era has my heart. AXE might be my favorite part (shocking, I know), but I enjoy the general vibe and overall narrative. A dream campaign I'd love to run at some point is more or less House Tarkannan in Eberron meets this and the establishing of an Aberrant Dragonmark nation/refuge.
Yu-Gi-Oh! - Anime & card game - Anime about people playing a card game (in a world where the card game seems to determine everything as time goes on) and the real world card game that inspired it. Lots of fun arcs in the anime (Duelist Kingdom and the rules just being made-up vibes! Digital world where they make Yu-gi-oh into commander! RPG worlds with the monsters as creatures! The Seal of Orichalchos and everything about Atlantis! Ancient South American geoglyphs are actually soul-eating monsters opposed by magic dragons!). So much fun to crack a pack and see what's going on, even if I never really played, and also to try and make any of the worldbuilding consistent/work as a backstory for a game.