Amateurs sit and wait for inspiration, the rest of us just get up and go to work. — Stephen King

It’s hard to argue with Mr. King in this regard. While he was most likely speaking about writers, his affirmation is applicable to any creative pursuit — including roleplaying games. As GMs, we want our players to get engaged in the stories we build with them; to become active participants in the worlds and adventures we’re crafting together. The first part of that is finding a compelling hook or narrative to build upon and explore.

As nerds, we’re living in a veritable golden age for easy inspiration; fantasy, science fiction and superheroes dominate pop culture. Everything from dark and gritty political intrigues to high-flying space operas are within easy reach for any game master. But this ease of access comes at a price; namely that it’s too easy to fall into tropes and predictable plotting. Pop culture is by and large formulaic, as studios and investors are usually unwilling to invest large sums of money into an unproven idea of franchise. That means that even the good stuff (however you want to define “good”) we can draw on usually follows an established pattern.

None of this is to say that using pop culture, tropes, or tried-and-true arcs is “bad,” or that you shouldn’t do it; I’m not yelling at the crazy youths to get off my lawn, in other words. And of course, there are several TV shows, movies, comics and books which break the mold — A Song of Ice and Fire comes to mind, though it created its own tropes — and are great for mining inspiration. Having said that, its often easy to forget that many of those groundbreaking works have their roots in actual history, and that for every Game of Thrones, there are hundreds or thousands of relatively unknown works of fiction which are just as good, if not better.

To that end, I’ve put together a short list of some of the media I’ve been consuming recently. Now, I have a degree in history, so most of the items on this first list are nonfiction, but I promise they are enjoyable, easy-to-digest reads (or listens). In fact, I might recommend the audio versions of them over the written ones, just because they’re more convenient. That’s how I tend to consume my “books” these days, anyway.

A Few Notes

This list is centered entirely on western Europe, mostly because it’s where my interests have been focused for the last couple of months. I plan on highlighting other areas, periods and cultures in future lists; namely Asia, the Middle-East and of course, the various imagined worlds of science fiction.

The second thing I’ll note is that the works in this list, with one exception, are very much focused on the men of history, and powerful men at that. I promise these weren’t chosen for that reason. The simple truth is that in many cases, the stories of women and the poor weren’t written down or captured — the focus was on kings, emperors, sultans and senators. But, I’m always on the lookout for sources which break this mold, so I’m happy to take any suggestions you might have.

And finally, these are all revisionist histories, even the fiction. They try to undo and reorient the work which has come before them, and take less patriarchal, prejudiced, and exclusive views of their subjects. If that’s not your jam, I understand, and I recommend you look elsewhere for inspiration.

The List, in No Particular Order

SPQR: A History of Ancient Rome by Mary Beard

What does it mean to belong to a place, and how can the very definition of “belonging” change over a thousand years? These questions are at the heart of SPQR; a fantastic history of Rome, starting from the founding of the city and ending in 212, when Emperor Caracalla took the shocking step of conferring Roman citizenship to every free person within the empire. Along the way, Beard takes great pains to contextualize the major events and decisions recorded by the Romans, doing her level best to humanize the now nearly mythological exploits of people like Cicero, Julius Cesar, and Marcus Aurelius.

SPQR is rife with possible inspiration for any game which wants to explore the idea of being a part of something bigger than the characters, and how that might evolve (or devolve) as time and events unfold. How do the humans of the fleet react when the Cylons are allowed to join them? What does it mean to be a member of the Nigh’ts Watch, when the Wildlings are manning the castles along the Wall?

The Wars of the Roses: The Fall of the Plantagenets and the Rise of the Tudors by Dan Jones

George R. R. Martin has made no secret of the fact that much of A Song of Ice and Fire is inspired by the Wars of the Roses, and for good reason. This period in European history is filled with the kinds of intrigue, violence, and double-dealing which made Martin’s epic series so popular. Dan Jones does an admirable job of breaking down the hundred years or so between the death of king Henry V of England, and the rise of Henry VIII; detailing the squabbles, revolts and backbiting in between. The ride is suspenseful, action-packed, and hard not to enjoy.

There is so much to pull from here, especially for games or campaigns which want to include political intrigue. Thankfully, Jones also highlights the contributions of the women at court, in particular Margaret Beaufort, Henry VII’s mother. Unless I’m mistaken, Beaufort is the inspiration for the wonderful Queen of Thorns in ASOIAF, and an excellent example of just how successful — and vicious — women could be in medieval Europe.

The Crusades: The Authoritative History of the War for the Holy Land by Thomas Asbridge

The “Holy War” for the Levant is a seminal period in western history; establishing ideas and concepts which have reverberated across the centuries since the Crusades began. Thomas Asbridge takes great pains to contextualize the people and events of that time, and more importantly, give the reader an insight into what was happening amongst the factions vying for power.

In the millennium since the Christian rulers clashed with their Muslim counterparts in the Holy Land, the events and people involved have taken on legendary status. Richard the Lionheart and Salah ad-Din in particular, have benefited from this treatment. In his book, Asbridge works to detail just how, even in the midst of something as unifying as a “holy war,” the realities of competing powers and personalities are front and center, often to grave effect.

This book is excellent for GMs looking to add some realism to their epic campaigns. Sure — the Elven city-states seem united against the predations of the Dragon Queen, but how do they react when the wyrm sends her envoys amongst them, pitting them against each other? What happens when the Marshall of the Outrigger Fleet receives news that his scheming sister has seized power while he’s been away exploring the North? If he leaves, the fleet will collapse in his absence, but if he stays, he might lose his throne.

Hild: A Novel by Nicole Griffith

Ancient history is filled with the stories of powerful men — after all, they tend to leave the most obvious evidence of their deeds. In the past, these men were the focus of most historians, and of most authors writing historical fiction. Thankfully, authors like Nicole Griffith exist to prove that women were just as effective, calculating, and cold-blooded as their male counterparts.

Griffith chose the real-life Hild of Whitby as the main character in her novel, which takes place in dark age Britain. Hild is born amidst a time of chaos; her father is murdered, and she and her mother fall into the custody of her uncle, a warlord with royal ambitions. With their situation tenuous at best and deadly at worst, Hild is forced to step into the role of a mystic advisor. Griffith’s clever writing is such that we, the reader, never know if Hild is truly gifted with magical foresight, or if she’s simply clever and astute enough to appear as such. Even with her “gift,” however, Hild’s situation is never secure, and she and the other women of the novel are always walking the line between aiding the powerful men around them, and avoiding their terrible — and often unprovoked — wrath.

Griffith’s novel is a great tool if you’re looking to run a more subtle game; one where the characters can’t just murder their way through any problem which presents itself. How can the newly blooded vampires survive, when they are beset on all sides by their far more powerful and experienced elders? What do the nerds attending the local high school do, to keep the various “popular” kids around them appeased and working against each other, rather than focusing on their more vulnerable fellow students?

The Fall of Rome Podcast by Patrick Wyman

It’s a well known fact ancient Rome; the most powerful empire western Europe had ever known; fell without warning in the fifth century C.E. to rampaging barbarian hordes. But not really. In his fantastically detailed and narrated podcast, Patrick Wyman takes us on a journey through the death throes of the great empire; the precursors, consequences, and aftermath of its fall. Wyman blends real historical fact with vignettes of everyday life — most of the episodes will build on a particular topic, and then explore that topic through the eyes of a fictional character. It’s an excellent way to get an understanding not just of the end of an empire, but the inner workings of that empire, and how those systems precipitated its collapse.

Wyman’s work is a treasure trove for GMs looking to add interesting ideas to well worn themes. What happens when the barbarians at the gates aren’t barbarians, but refugees fleeing a greater terror — refugees with the will and ability to take what they want? What happens when the authority the characters wield is slipping away, as the center of that authority collapses? Will they fight to keep it alive, or carve off a piece for themselves?

Inspiration is a guest that does not willingly visit the lazy. — Pyotr Tchaikovsky

I hope you’re able to find some worthy inspiration from the the works on this list. I know some of them are intimidating, but you don’t need to read or listen to them all, all the way through. And if you look at this list and think “what the hell is he thinking, I would never look to books like this for inspiration,” then that’s cool, too — where do you find inspiration for your games? I’m serious, I want to know, so that I can keep my own games fresh and interesting!