In no particular order, and with no cohesive fabric between them,
here go five sources that have I have consumed, and provided
great inspiration for roleplaying. Go read part 1's five inspirations if so inclined (heck, it's been how many YEARS already?!?!). Each in this new batch is probably worth a post of its own.
As my disclaimer usually goes, these are things that I personally like, paid with my own money, and nobody is pushing them my way. Other than the sophisticated advertisement apparatus of the tech giants, of course.
1. Thorgal
Thorgal is a great comic book read from the early 80s. If I were to describe it in a few simpleton words it would be "soft Conan, padded with historical curious and psychedelic dimension hopping".
Art is tremendous.
There are enough planar adventures and science fantasy shenanigans. The titular Thorgal traveling to the land of the dead, discovering ruins that are not what they seem at first, etc.
2. Piranesi
The following is an excerpt that starts around pg 29 in the hardcover version:
I saw a vision! In the dim Air above the grey Waves hung a white, shining cross. Its whiteness was blazing whiteness; it far outshone the Wall of Statues behind it. It was beautiful but I did not understand it. The next moment brought enlightenment of sort: it was not a cross at all but something vast and white, which glided rapidly towards me on the Wind.
What could it be? It must be a bird, but if I could see it at such a great distance, then it must be a bird of much grater size than the birds I was accustomed to. It swept on, coming directly towards me. I spread my arms in answer to its spread wings, as if I was going to embrace it. I spoke out loud. Welcome! Welcome! Welcome! was what I think I meant to say, but the Wind took my breath from me and all I could manage was 'Come! Come! Come!'
The bird sailed across the heaving Waves, never once beating its wings. With great skill and ease it tipped itself slightly sideways to pass through the Doorway that separated us. Its wingspan surpassed even the width of the Door. I knew what it was! An albatross!
Still it continued, straight towards me, and the strangest thought came to me: perhaps the albatross and I were destined to merge and the two of us would become another order of being entirely: an Angel! This thought both excited and frightened me, but still I remained, arms outstretched, mirroring the albatross's flight. (I thought how surprised the Other would be when I flew into the Second South-Western Hall on my Angel Wings, bringing him messages of Peace and Joy!) My heart beat rapidly.
The moment he reached me - the moment that I thought we would collide like Planets and become one! - I gave out a sort of gasping cry - Aahhhh! In the same instant, I felt some sort of pent-up tension go out ouf me, a tension I did not know I had until that moment. Vast, white wings passed over me. I felt and smelt the Air those wings brought with them, the sharp, salty, wild tang of Faraway Tides and Winds that had roamed vast distances, through Halls I would never see.
...
This book's setting is ripe for implementation as a depth-crawl, a la Gardens of Ynn.
3. Atlas Obscura
This website probably requires a dedicated post. A trove of inspiration that highlights the most bizarre corners of our planet and history. Temples, shop, sites, curios.
There is also a hardcover book which compiles a good selection of articles.
Because sometimes the most imaginative inspirations are right in front of our own noses.
4. Dead Cells
Not one for videogames, whilst everyone and their mother is raving about Elden Ring and their ilk, I decided to restart an old favorite of mine: Dead Cells. A roguelike metroidvania game, it is part of my holy trinity of essential masterpieces (Hollow Knight and Blasphemous being the other two, thanks for asking).
Once again, I remind myself of how much we can learn from it and others in this genre, when we think of elfgames. Moreso megadungeons.
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