My previous series on Fail Forward ended up running long, and getting deeper into theory than perhaps was wise for a novice writer. I’ve decided to cover another topic I feel strongly about; bibliographies and media influences as they appear in RPG rulebooks. Instead of a lengthy diatribe on the topic, I’ve decided to break my thoughts on it into an internet friendly list of Dos & Don’ts.
I should begin by saying that I’m generally a big fan of creators talking about their work; I like seeing how the sausage is made. I like to see what games were influenced by and where they came from, and the natural result of this is that I’m pro-bibliography. As a reader (and buyer) of RPGs I’d happily sacrifice page space that could be used for lore or GM advice in service of media lists. I also have a lot of free time to read books, watch films and play games, so media recommendations are always welcome to me. For people that don’t have the time to consume media on a game designer's recommendation, or for those that want an RPG they’re reading to be as complete a standalone text as possible, my Dos and Don’t probably won’t ring true. With that said, let’s dive in.
Do discuss your influences and what players could take from them. I’d much rather the bibliography of an RPG be a short essay than a simple list. It allows work to be presented with some advice for how it applies to the game, and gives some insight into the RPG writer’s take on the work. Statements like “the protagonists of this are how I see the player characters of my game” or “the portrayal of the setting in this film is perfect for my RPG” can let potential viewers of the recommended works view them with that in mind. The result of this is likely to be that watching the recommended films or reading the recommended books will be much better prep or inspiration for the players of your game. Having the writer’s opinion of the recommended works is also useful. A list of media without context tends to read as a straightforward recommendation, but sometimes an author might want to point readers towards a text that isn’t particularly good, but is still useful for game prep.
Kenneth Hite is very good at this, and the ‘Sources’ section of Night’s Black Agents is a pitch perfect example. He makes it clear up top that there aren’t any ideal works for a vampire spy game, so breaks down various spy, vampire and thriller fiction and how it's useful for Night’s Black Agents players.
Don’t list everything that’s squarely in genre. No matter what esoteric nerd tropes your RPG is taking its cues from, there’s probably still more in-genre media than anyone could experience in a lifetime. The range of works that exist within that genre is also likely to be massively broad. If your post apocalyptic RPG lists The Road and Mad Max: Fury Road as its influences, I’m not going to have a great idea of what style of apocalypse we’re in besides one in which people are scavenging for things. If you’re able to tell me if your fantasy game is more Lord of the Rings or Game of Thrones, I’m going to have a much clearer picture of what kind of tone we’re going for.
Do include an introductory list up front. This could take the form of citing some works in the body of the text, or of a quick list at the end of the section. A few media influences in the introduction for the game is an excellent way to put the reader in the right mindset for reading through the rest of the book.
Something related to this that I’ve only seen done once is the ‘Inspiration For...’ lists that accompany each playbook for Urban Shadows 1st Edition. This is an excellent way to guide players who like the idea of a particular character archetype, but want some inspiration in preparation for game night, or for the GM who wants a better idea about what kinds of conflicts or struggles to throw their way. I don’t think every game needs or wants this, but I’d certainly like to see more if it.
Don’t just stick to works that are clearly in genre. If your list of texts includes something that obviously isn’t in the same nerd genre as whatever the RPG I’m reading is, I’m going to pay attention. It’s likely to help people playing your game approach thinking about or preparing for it from a different angle, and deepen their understanding. Spire: The City Must Fall RPG takes place in a dark fantasy punk setting, so its choice to cite cyberpunk and real world crime fiction is a non obvious choice that can really help people grasp its tone.
Do cite other RPGs that influenced your game mechanically. The hacking and DIY culture of RPGs is a real boon, both for the production of good games and enabling innovative design. Games that take care to cite their mechanical influences are a good way to propagate this culture in a positive way, and helps break down barriers between RPG writers and RPG consumers. Apocalypse World is a hugely influential game, so seeing D. Vincent & Meguey Baker freely admit where they took mechanical cues from does a lot to show that designing excellent games isn’t necessarily about having loads of brilliant ideas apropos of nothing, but of taking inspiration from great work and putting your own spin on it. It's a far cry from video game companies patenting mechanics they’ve come up with so other designers can’t use them to make more good games, and the further we can move away from that, the better.
Art Credit
Bookhounds of London by Jérôme Huguenin
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