The PHB has several books that can be used for inspiration in one of the appendices, and I'll vouch for The Hobbit/The Lord of the Rings putting you in a D&D mood (talking books, but the movies can be just as potent with the visuals.
I like scenic photography, paintings, and locations for inspiring my creative juices. I've often looked at some of these different scenes and wondered what were the actual stories that took place there and sometimes what kind of stories could you tell. I saw a picture of some canoes paddling towards a ship that had been lost up a river and immediately wanted to explore that story. Our family took a hike last June. The path still had spots of snow and the payoff for us was a beautiful lake set against a backdrop of cliffs with rockslides and what looked like a couple of caves. I saw treasure in those caves and wanted to discover it. Ruins are also interesting for stories like this too.
This somewhat depends on what kind of world you want to make.
If you like your magic and world to be mysterious to your characters, check out Terry Brooks' Shannara series (at least the first three books, Sword of Shannara, Elfstones of Shannara, Wishsong of Shannara). Ancient lost magic, demons, roving monsters, etc.
If you are looking for low-magic worlds (magic exists, but most people don't have access to it), look up some of David Gemmell's books, in particular Legend (1984), The King Beyond the Gate (1985), Waylander (1986), Quest for Lost Heroes (1990), In the Realm of the Wolf (1992), The First Chronicles of Druss the Legend (1993), The Legend of Deathwalker (1996), Winter Warriors (1997), or Hero in the Shadows (2000). Lots of these are 'unlikely party of warriors, including a mysterious lone swordsman, face daunting odds'. But they are still good.
For high-magic worlds, Raymond Feist's books Magician (sometimes split into 'Apprentice' and 'Master'), Silverthorn, and A Darkness at Sethanon are fantastic. Planar travel, ancient god-like races, urban adventure, good stuff. Very D&D like.
For an interesting take on a fantasy world, Joel Rosenberg'sGuardians of the Flame series is really good. It's about a group of D&D players who get thrown into their gaming world. I know, it sounds corny. But the world is a really gritty place (there's slavery, 'main character' deaths, etc), and the characters are good. And it's interesting to see these characters' take on being 20th century people living in a D&D world.
There's also the now-classic Belgariad series by David Eddings. There's another 5-book sequel series. It's something of a low-magic world in that very few people have magic, but a number of them are main characters, so magic is everywhere in the story. And it's a neat magic system.
For something distinct from all the rest, check out Roger Zelazny'sAmber series, at least the first five books starting with Nine Princes in Amber. I'm not going to say anything more about it because finding out what's going on in the first book is one of the cool parts. I'll just say it's a fantasy series that starts with the main character waking up with complete amnesia in a psych ward in the 20th century. If you want the best experience, don't read about the books before reading the first one.
Anything and everything fantastical and/or sci-fi: books, comics, movies, etc. I've been palying/DM'ing since 1981 and I have made it myu policy to steal my ideas from any and everywhere.
I've been running an ongoing multiverse-based campaign since my earliest days as a DM. I make heavy use of alternate prime material planes, and since its conception, Spelljammer.
Whenever I want to introduce a new concept or campaign I either plop it down in my regular campaign world if it fits or in a another SPhere or alternate prime material plane if it doesn't.
I've recently started a new Eberron campaign that didn't quite fit with my other worlds so I placed Eberron in a crystal sphere way out beyond the backside of known space with no currents in the Flow leading to it. It is completely sealed off dimensional from direct contact with other planes except as described in the Warfarer's Guide to Eberron.
Depending on how extensive you capaign universe is, there isn't anything that can't be fitted into an ongoing campaign with a bit of creativity.
Note: My main, and central campaign world, is based upon the world of Endore (Middle Earth_ where the ring was never really destroyed. It really drove my players into loops when things didn't follow what the knew from the books. :)
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Watch your back, conserve your ammo, and NEVER cut a deal with a dragon!
Hello! I am still very new to being a dm and making campaign settings, so what do you guys use for inspiration (manga, anime, movies, games, etc.)
The PHB has several books that can be used for inspiration in one of the appendices, and I'll vouch for The Hobbit/The Lord of the Rings putting you in a D&D mood (talking books, but the movies can be just as potent with the visuals.
I like scenic photography, paintings, and locations for inspiring my creative juices. I've often looked at some of these different scenes and wondered what were the actual stories that took place there and sometimes what kind of stories could you tell. I saw a picture of some canoes paddling towards a ship that had been lost up a river and immediately wanted to explore that story. Our family took a hike last June. The path still had spots of snow and the payoff for us was a beautiful lake set against a backdrop of cliffs with rockslides and what looked like a couple of caves. I saw treasure in those caves and wanted to discover it. Ruins are also interesting for stories like this too.
This somewhat depends on what kind of world you want to make.
Looking for new subclasses, spells, magic items, feats, and races? Opinions welcome :)
Anything and everything fantastical and/or sci-fi: books, comics, movies, etc. I've been palying/DM'ing since 1981 and I have made it myu policy to steal my ideas from any and everywhere.
I've been running an ongoing multiverse-based campaign since my earliest days as a DM. I make heavy use of alternate prime material planes, and since its conception, Spelljammer.
Whenever I want to introduce a new concept or campaign I either plop it down in my regular campaign world if it fits or in a another SPhere or alternate prime material plane if it doesn't.
I've recently started a new Eberron campaign that didn't quite fit with my other worlds so I placed Eberron in a crystal sphere way out beyond the backside of known space with no currents in the Flow leading to it. It is completely sealed off dimensional from direct contact with other planes except as described in the Warfarer's Guide to Eberron.
Depending on how extensive you capaign universe is, there isn't anything that can't be fitted into an ongoing campaign with a bit of creativity.
Note: My main, and central campaign world, is based upon the world of Endore (Middle Earth_ where the ring was never really destroyed. It really drove my players into loops when things didn't follow what the knew from the books. :)
Watch your back, conserve your ammo,
and NEVER cut a deal with a dragon!
Saberhagen's Empire of the East
Lieber's Fahrt and the Grey Mouser
Howard's Kull
Clark Asthon Smith
Jack Vance's Dying Earth
Michael Moorcock's Elric, Hawkmoon, and Corum books
David Gemmell
Victor Milan's Dinosaur Lords
Vampire Hunter D novels
Pretty much everything from the original Appendix N from the 1e Dungeon Master's Guide.