Gary’s Appendix is a collective effort by a creative menagerie to create a memorable zine for fantasy gamers.
About the book:
This is a series of zines that explore the curious and fascinating parts of our beloved hobby in a way that is thought-provoking and useful. The inspiration for this zine is the AD&D Dungeon Masters Guide. We draw inspiration from the past works of the gaming giants with no attempt to reproduce it. Gary's Appendix about our love for the past and our excitement for the future.
Gary's Appendix Issue 3 includes:
Bestiary
We explore ways to turn mundane creatures into memorable encounters by considering the lore, mythology and ecology.
This issue includes:
- Efreeti (lesser)
- Gargoyle
- Ghoul
- Golem (clay)
- Hellhound
- Mummy
- Shadow
- Zombie
Articles:
- A Brief History of Death – The living have always been left behind to deal with the deceased. To make sure the dead are happy, and—well—stay dead, so they can enjoy all the benefits a long and prosperous afterlife may bring. And there’s more to that than you might imagine.
- The Hodag – The sheer youth of the United States shows itself in many ways, but none more so than mythological creatures. There are a few globally known creatures, such as; Sasquatch, the Jersey Devil, and even Babe the Blue Ox. There is another. It is the Hodag of Rhinelander, Wisconsin.
- Legends of the Supernatural pt. 1 – The supernatural history of Britain and Ireland is often the source of role-playing hooks and scenario ideas. These are some favorite myths and legends written up as role-playing inspiration. All are based on an established history, myth or legend—or combination of all three.
- Raise Dead – What is the purpose of death in fantasy TTRPGs? Often, it sets tone. If player characters can die easily, as in almost all TSR-era versions of D&D, then life is cheap, and death is swift and quick. Death and resurrection are a core part of many fantasy stories; a character’s death is rarely the end of their tale, and even today fans speculate how a dead hero in a story might be brought back to life later.
- Salt and Garlic – When your cleric’s sick or out of town, who's going to take the responsibility of cooking the deathless? Here’s a three-part take on how low level parties can use ingredients found in your own home to detect, ward, and turn the undead.
- Draugr: Undead Vikings – The pre-modern Scandinavians had a considerable body of lore about the dead and the undead. They had beliefs and practices involving the proper treatment of the dead spanning millennia. The dead were respected and feared, for some of them could leave the grave and cause problems for the living. Gary Gygax included a number of monsters from fairy tales and folklore in the Monster Manual. Gary saw that in addition to being entertaining to read, the spooks and specters of the old world were great fodder for gaming. This article presents the draugr and provides an example of how you can use those stories in your games.
The Team:
Written by Dave Semark, Jason Hobbs, Jeffrey Jones, Onslaught Six, Travis Miller, Zac Goins
Art by Danny Teran, Brian “Glad” Thomas, Perplexing Ruins, Dean Spencer, Amanda Lee Franck, Bertdrawstuff
