Here is my first catch-up post for RPG a Day 2025, day 9. The prompt is Inspire. Let me share with you what inspires me as a Dungeon Master (DM) / Game Master (GM).
I may have written about some of these before, apologies to regular readers, but I wanted to bring all these inspirations together.
As a young DM/GM of course I had read Tolkien’s The Hobbit and the Lord of the Rings trilogy, along with the animated versions of these stories, the movies Excalibur, Conan the Barbarian, Beastmaster, Clash of the Titans, The Never Ending Story, and The Dark Crystal all influenced my concepts of what the fantasy genre was.
However, when I began to play role-playing games, Dungeons & Dragons in particular, three things primarily influenced me as a budding DM/GM. They were the Dragonlance Chronicles, the Elfquest comics, and the LJN AD&D Toys.
I wrote a post about the AD&D toys here in the blog back in 2010. But to summarize, I played with these toys before knowing how to play D&D, and they fired my imagination, teaching me some of the concepts and roles of the game through play. With new versions of these classic toys, the reappearance of characters in official D&D supplements and minis, and all the nostalgia, you can tell I was not the only one inspired by them.
I was into comics many years before RPGs, so it’s no surprise that they inspired me, and the fantasy story of Elfquest was an obsession of mine. The story of the displaced elves, their journey, the new elven culture they encountered, the family relationships, love, and adventure. They shaped my perception of elven society far more than Tolkien and the type of story I wanted to tell. If you have never read it, you can read many of the stories online, for free, here. These books are well worth it, and I own various copies of most of the books.
Lastly, but perhaps most formative and inspirational for me as a young DM, was Dragonlace. I discovered the Dragonlace Chronicles soon after discovering D&D, and the novels, the supplements, and the world-building, shaped how I played D&D and RPGs in general. It inspired the adventures I ran, the stories I created, and the worlds I developed.
Other sources inspired me through the years. My long-running Star Frontiers game, as well as later games, were influenced by a classic comic series, Atari Force! With mini comics included along with Atari cartridges, a comic book series published by DC, and a graphic novel, the stories of this sci-fi universe capture my imagination. Storylines, characters, and the look and feel of the universe influenced my sci-fi games. If you want to read about other comics that inspired me, you can read this 15-year-old post.
Another sci-fi inspiration, but one that continues to inspire all stories I tell, is Babylon 5 and the writings of its creator, J. Michael Straczynski. The world-building, the epic storytelling, the character development, the multi-dimensional characters with realist motivations, the slow-burn of the plot, and the foreshadowing that pays off much later. Babylon 5 is my favorite sci-fi TV series for a reason.
I’ve watched the whole series five or six times now; I read Straczynski’s book on scriptwriting. I’ve read his comics and watched his other works, and his style of storytelling has been an inspiration for me. I will admit that the show’s influence might have led me to focus too much on the storyline, rather than the characters, at one point as a GM, but I like to think I have found a balance between the two.
More recent inspirations include a more eclectic mix of sources. From gaming products, in particular Kevin Crawford’s Without Numbers games from Sine Nomine Publishing, Stars, Worlds, Cities, and Ashes Without Number and all the tools they provide (you can see it by how much Ive mentioned them just this month!), to TV series like The Wire, Breaking Bad and Better Call Saul, and the world and politics of A Song of Ice and Fire, and the Game of Thrones series. I often create playlists to inspire my creative endeavors and to create a mood for games. I am frequently surprised by what can inspire me these days.
What inspires you? How do you inspire others in your games? I would love to read your comments here in the blog, or tag me wherever you make them. If you choose to join in the conversation, don’t forget to include the #RPGaDay2025 hashtag so the community can find your contribution.
