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Around this time last year, I completed my report on what I like to think is just over the threshold of being a substantive project centered around an internet poll I created. Having watched a recent Bob World Builder video on a similar subject, I realized nothing came of this (yet) work as an article submission, so I figured I'd repost it here to satisfy my ego for your reading enjoyment.
If you want to orient yourself with Appendix N and beyond as a reading list, I also developed a comprehensive spreadsheet for tracking your own participation.
In Flame and Crimson, Brian Murphy examines the history of sword-and-sorcery fiction and argues that Dungeons & Dragons "remains vibrantly alive" with its imagery and themes.1 Similarly, Dimitra Nikolaidou, writing in Wyrd Science, notes that D&D and fiction more broadly share a reciprocal relationship; D&D draws from literature while inspiring new directions in speculative fiction.2 The OSR, in turn, has thrived on this exchange of ideas, treating fiction not just as raw material but as a way to deepen and innovate gameplay by connecting and transforming past tropes, characters, and locales.
To this end, Gygax’s Appendix N from the AD&D Dungeon Master's Guide remains a cornerstone for grognards and neophytes alike for understanding the literary roots of RPGs with its influence extending well beyond D&D itself. OSR games frequently reflect these foundations, from explicit homages like The Black Sword Hack to broader inspirations in Hyperborea. Even modern editions of the dragon game acknowledge this legacy, expanding it with additional references in its fifth edition. Yet as the OSR continues to evolve, engaging with new ideas and influences, it raises an inevitable question: What might an Appendix OSR—an updated list of inspirational works that reflects the movement’s spirit—look like today?
Tavern Talk
To explore this question, I conducted a survey across OSR-centric communities, including r/OSR and various Discord servers, gathering almost 70 responses. Participants engaged through multiple-choice and open-ended questions, offering a frankly chaotic range of insights. While not exhaustive, these responses provide a meaningful snapshot of readership in the OSR that actively considers the relationship between fiction and roleplaying.
It is important to recognize that, demographically, respondents varied widely in their OSR experience: 39% had been involved for 4–9 years, 20% for over a decade, and 30% for 1–3 years. I’ll examine the implications of these figures in the conclusion, but most participants (86%) actively play or run games, while 81% engage primarily by reading OSR blogs, books, and modules. Notably, 45% seek out speculative fiction for direct inspiration, reinforcing the connection between literature and play.
Looting the Library
Appendix N remains a key touchstone. Of respondents, 57% had read at least part of it, while 22% claimed to have read it in its entirety. Granted, while Appendix N sometimes listed only authors rather than specific works, this level of engagement suggests its core ideas remain indelibly influential. In contrast, 75% had little or no familiarity with 5e’s expanded appendices, reinforcing the OSR’s general detachment from modern, official D&D content. Additionally, Tom Moldvay’s Basic D&D “Inspirational Source Material,” which overlaps heavily with Appendix N, also remains under-discussed, despite providing a clearer framework by specifying individual books, acknowledging additional contemporary authors, and branching into non-fiction recommendations.
There was some correlation between time spent in the OSR scene and Appendix N readership, but among those writing or designing OSR content (44% of respondents), engagement with Appendix N was particularly high. Most respondents acknowledged fiction as direct inspiration, with one advocate proclaiming, “steal anything not nailed down.” However, 52% indicated they read primarily for pleasure (with only 13% indicating they did not read much fiction), suggesting a more nuanced relationship between fiction and game design that should be explored in any future examination of this topic.
As expected, the most frequently cited Appendix N authors were Robert E. Howard, Fritz Leiber, H.P. Lovecraft, Michael Moorcock, J.R.R. Tolkien, and Jack Vance, appearing in 77% of responses, often together in some combination. Somewhat surprisingly, Poul Anderson, L. Sprague de Camp, A. Merritt, and Fletcher Pratt—whom Gygax listed as “major influences”—were largely absent.3 In their limited mention, some respondents even touted these works as outdated or less relevant to contemporary OSR play. Conversely, Tolkien’s prominence contradicts Gygax’s own claim that his influence was “minimal” on the original game.4 Clark Ashton Smith’s absence from Appendix N, despite his clear thematic overlap, remains a point of contention, as noted by Eric Diaz in his analysis of an interview on the subject, but was also regularly looked on in a positive light within survey results.
Among more modern authors already recognized by 5e, Glen Cook, Margaret Weis & Tracy Hickman, Fred Saberhagen, Ursula K. Le Guin, Terry Pratchett, and Gene Wolfe emerged as notable influences, though only two saw a competitive trend with Appendix N authors. Cook’s The Black Company series was the most frequently referenced, while Le Guin’s Earthsea also had a strong showing. Kelsey Dionne’s assertion (in response to my question in a Shadowdark AMA) that The Tombs of Atuan is “the pinnacle of dungeon fiction” aligns with this sentiment.
Carrying the Torch
Despite its prominence, the sheer number of responses that strayed beyond Appendix N was striking. When asked about additional material to consider, responses were varied but revealed a few noteworthy consistencies. Joe Abercrombie’s writings led the pack, followed by Christopher Buehlman’s The Blacktongue Thief, Steven Erikson’s Malazan Book of the Fallen, the Norse Poetic and Prose Eddas, and Brian Jacques’ Redwall. Manga (Delicious in Dungeon, Berserk), video games (Dark Souls, Caves of Qud, Darkest Dungeon), and films (1980s Conan movies and The Beastmaster) were also pluralistically cited. These works generally align with Appendix N’s ethos: medievalish/antique settings, magic, and adventure for gold and glory.
Crucially, 86% of respondents believed an Appendix OSR should strive to blend old and new works. Furthermore, 57% advocated for expanding beyond Appendix N’s sword-and-sorcery roots, with strong support for science fantasy (84%), weird fiction (67%), and horror (65%). The popularity of old-school and old-school-inspired projects like Mörk Borg, Mothership, The Electrum Archive, and The Painted Wastelands supports these genre inclinations especially, each becoming tangible commercial and/or crowdfunding success stories. Even classic D&D modules like Expedition to the Barrier Peaks demonstrate that genre boundaries were never rigid in the old style of play, and this type of thematic line-blurring often proves especially memorable in retrospect.5
As OSR games continue to evolve, their engagement with literary inspiration reflects an increasingly broad and shifting spectrum of gameplay. Revisiting some previous examples, games like The Black Sword Hack highlight a Moorcockian focus on doomed antiheroes, while Hyperborea leans into pulp adventure frameworks reminiscent of Howard and Burroughs. This selective reinterpretation shows that the OSR isn’t merely about emulating Appendix N, it’s about responding to it. Encouraging an evolution of the ways in which gamers seek inspiration promises to bring fresh ideas into a time-tested game structure (provided they honor the roots of the hobby).
Kicking the Door Down
If a publication like KNOCK! were to produce an Appendix OSR, 36% of respondents would at least be appreciative of its creation, and a further 52% stated they would actively use it as a reading guide. Given the enthusiasm for blending foundational works with newer influences, it's clear that roleplaying’s dialogue with fiction is far from over. As the OSR continues to grow, so too will its desire to synthesize the ideas that emerge. By encouraging discussion and curation, an Appendix OSR could help shape the next wave of gaming sourcebooks and derivative literature, ensuring that the conversation between roleplaying and fiction remains dynamic while continuing to honor its foundational influences as they recede further into the past.
As mentioned previously, OSR discourse has also grappled with broader questions of creative identity, particularly in light of the OGL crisis which saw a large influx of newer players into the movement actively migrating from the WoTC-owned game. Marcia B.’s The OSR Should Die: Basic Edition (featured in K!5) challenged the movement’s reliance on nostalgia, calling for more original and forward-thinking design. This perspective suggests that any new “Appendix” should not merely replicate Appendix N but serve as a living document, one that evolves alongside the movement itself. Taking stock of the works that inspired the dawn of RPGs while actively seeking out fresh, relevant fiction will better demonstrate the movement’s community-driven approach. This in turn encourages a path that leads back to the old-school game and the wealth of material modern creators continue to introduce to cater towards it.
1 Brian Murphy, Flame and Crimson: A History of Sword-and-Sorcery (Pulp Hero Press, 2020), 219.↩
2 Dimitra Nikolaidou, “Spelling With Dice: The Role of Dungeons & Dragons in Contemporary Speculative Fiction,” Wyrd Science Vol. 1, Iss. 6 (2024), originally published in Fifty Years of Dungeons & Dragons, ed. Premeet Sidhu et al., (The MIT Press, 2024).↩
3 Gary Gygax, “The influence of J. R. R. Tolkien on the D&D® and AD&D® games: Why Middle Earth is not part of the game world,” Dragon Iss. 95 (1985), 12-13.↩
4 Ibid.↩
5 Erik Mona et al., "The 30 Greatest Adventures of All Time," Dungeon no. 116 (November 2004): 34–45.↩
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