Best Novel(s) with a Tabletop RPG or Boardgame Setting

[kronovan]

Since the D&D novel thread has some good energy, I thought I'd start a general thread on Novels for any tabletop game - RPG or board. We've got many to choose from; D&D of course, Shadowrun, MechWarrior, Game of Thrones, Star Wars, etc. There's so many I've never read that it's too embarrassing to admit to, or list names. I'm hoping this can help some of us here discover some good reading material that we might have otherwise overlooked. This is for tabletop games, so don't list any that are currently exclusive to a video game setting.

I'm going to chime in and say that now that Jim Butchers Dresden Files universe has been turned into a tabletop RPG based on the FATE engine, that The Dresden Files series would be my choice.

[kadnod]

Mouse Guard is a very interesting, and very well put together RPG based on a some really beautiful comic books/graphic novels.  I haven't played it yet, but purchased the e-version a while ago.  The concept is PCs are civilized mice from a sort of medieval society, just trying to survive in a world of harsh elements and "wild" animals.  It's got some really interesting mechanics that keep it from just being D&D with rats.  In particular, I like the "natural order scale," that makes PCs get creative when dealing with critters much larger than a mouse.  A PC simply can't slay a critter much bigger than themselves.  They've got to think of interesting solutions, like raising an army or literaly "building a better mouse trap" to defeat their foes.

The comics are really great, too.  One of the most beautifully drawn series I've ever read, with a good story to boot. 

[TiLT]

Is this a thread about novels based on RPGs/boardgames, or vice-versa? There's a huge difference between the two.

Anyway, if it's the former I give Eisenhorn a solid vote. It's the kind of novel that shows writing a book set in a licensed universe isn't necessarily a bad thing. On Amazon, 43 out of 54 customer reviews rate it 5 stars.

[kronovan]

Is this a thread about novels based on RPGs/boardgames, or vice-versa? There's a huge difference between the two.

I initially thought of making it a thread just for novels based in a RPG/boardgame setting, but I thought that might be too restrictive. As well, with some of the larger franchises it gets into a bit of hair splitting. As an example, Dungeons and Dragons for it's 1st decade was only a tabletop RPG, but has since gone on to be the base play mechanics for many video games, has been portrayed in 2 films and an animated TV series and become the setting for 100's of novels. While on the other hand Star Wars was only a trilogy of films and a number of novels for it's 1st decade, but has since been the setting for 2 tabletop RPGs, 3 tabletop miniatures games and a number of board and Card games. A Game of Thrones is another example of a franchise that started out as a series of popular novels, but is now represented in a healthy selection of boardgames and RPG's.

[TiLT]

Yeah, but all of those except D&D started as a novel. When a novel can inspire that kind of licensing, it's bound to be "best", which is unfair competition for stuff like Eisenhorn.

[kronovan]

Yeah, but all of those except D&D started as a novel. When a novel can inspire that kind of licensing, it's bound to be "best", which is unfair competition for stuff like Eisenhorn.

Good point TiLT. Although for me, 2 of the top 20 fantasy novel series I've ever read had D&D settings - so I think boardgame/RPG inspired novels can handle the competition more than many think. On that note my 2 inspired from a tabletop RPG setting would be Don Bassingthwaithe's Dragon Below and Legacy of Dakaan trilogies set in the D&D world of Eberron.

[Turtle]

The Playback War

It's a novel for "VOR: The Maelstrom" miniature wargame, but that's close enough to RPGs/boardgames.

A friend recommended Never Deal with a Dragon, a Shadowrun novel, a few other ones are good if you can stomach the combination of fantasy and cyberpunk.

[kronovan]

The Playback War

It's a novel for "VOR: The Maelstrom" miniature wargame, but that's close enough to RPGs/boardgames.

Miniature games most definitely qualify.

A friend recommended Never Deal with a Dragon, a Shadowrun novel, a few other ones are good if you can stomach the combination of fantasy and cyberpunk.

I've heard very good things about a number of the Shadowrun novels, but sadly I've never read any. Perhaps even move sad - I've never played the RPG.