Since I have started a "Land's End Season 2" campaign, I thought it would be a fun post to collect some of my favourite inspirations for the campaigns here.
Some of these informed the tone or atmosphere more generally, and others I stole from directly. See if you can guess which is which!
![](https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-tp0jIbLskKE/YW4CrBh5vfI/AAAAAAAAEwA/4T9N9clBCooWRT19rz_2FVroglW0kCCpwCLcBGAsYHQ/w382-h640/cas%2Bzothique.JPG) |
Clark Ashton Smith's Zothique cycle. Desolate wastes, corrupt wizards, a terrified populace, and Mordiggian! |
![](https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-yyrYIWcSeG8/YW4CrjrOQ8I/AAAAAAAAEwU/SUyDLvKwWnoujiOeVV79gbFM3PPmT8-zQCLcBGAsYHQ/w378-h640/conan%2B.jpg) |
You already knew it. |
![](https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-oAjOQNkBe8U/YW4CrHyg1tI/AAAAAAAAEwI/dkQG1H7dwYIHz0jCYFdE-ugpK7pLhG_GQCLcBGAsYHQ/w520-h640/Dark_Souls_Cover_Art.jpg) |
Dark Souls, the best console game ever. |
![](https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-X_l5gJGtuQs/YW4CridQ4UI/AAAAAAAAEwM/VgN249pJ4e0MnNO2F1RSBhzVJ2WVevqLwCLcBGAsYHQ/w450-h640/el%2Bborak.jpg) |
Robert E. Howard's El Borak stories. Adventuring amongst savage tribes in the desolate regions of the world, discovering lost cities and vast hidden treasures. |
![](https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Nx5MkGvuMrQ/YW4CrtPgpyI/AAAAAAAAEwQ/ZeOZKnWr-aIvayDvSDfZHThr8FWz0twKACLcBGAsYHQ/w418-h640/hyperborea.jpg) |
Clark Ashton Smith's Hyperborea cycle. |
![](https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-GCvitXFJ77U/YW4Cr4uIhrI/AAAAAAAAEwY/d7U_W23LjvEiLIWkKn15pvvmnUXWFMN8ACLcBGAsYHQ/w416-h640/indy%2Bfate%2Bof%2Batlantis.jpg) |
The old Dark Horse Indiana Jones comics, especially Fate of Atlantis. I was going to mention Raiders, but I already wrote a whole blog post about it a few years ago. |
![](https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-INaM14aOL4I/YW4CsBDkCQI/AAAAAAAAEwc/HRXWPWb1qoAH54j_bQA2PojUfzt61G8IwCLcBGAsYHQ/w402-h640/king%2Bsolomons%2Bmines%2Bcover.jpg) |
H. Rider Haggard's King Solomon's Mines. The original 'hidden valley' adventure site! |
![](https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-QLLnTE5dxEI/YW4CsFqVC5I/AAAAAAAAEwg/3wowUsNGbREvOXAOM8is_gGNPudADlTLACLcBGAsYHQ/w426-h640/myth%2Bthe%2Bfallen%2Blords%2Bcover.png) |
Myth: The Fallen Lords, by Bungie. Dark fantasy wargame that rips off the Black Company extensively. |
![](https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-imorayUOXjg/YW4CrHT5ZBI/AAAAAAAAEwE/J2-i9GuSyXIfyFTkixD25NcsNko7thrFQCLcBGAsYHQ/w472-h640/Poster-Score26-Daggerfall.jpg) |
Daggerfall, the best Elder Scrolls game. Crude, buggy, dark, mysterious, with a charm all its own. |
![](https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-RLs9UHFZTB4/YW4CsM4VeAI/AAAAAAAAEwk/kCzPnt7SCo41YCrlXI14Xt1drEQsUIi7ACLcBGAsYHQ/w480-h640/realm-of-chaos-01.jpg) |
Realm of Chaos: Slaves to Darkness |
![](https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-uDn9uID4upk/YW4EP2UqQOI/AAAAAAAAExE/rdFM8Zuz75IENCOm_VoZl28HdbKEqbJKACLcBGAsYHQ/w454-h640/97686.jpg) |
Geoffrey McKinney's Carcosa. I wouldn't run it on its own, but picking bits & pieces from it works really well. |
![](https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-pjSBwq61BgM/YW4GnO2JMfI/AAAAAAAAExM/XCJj-sl83XcPpa0lTJrDZvdqEsNR0ovOACLcBGAsYHQ/w416-h640/wasteland.jpg) |
Oni Press' Wasteland comics. Post-apocalyptic desert adventures. |
![](https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-UMJ8a8Mmop8/YW4ZlneyxCI/AAAAAAAAExk/QpPVfko38HwteXxuTkIz9x7_eOofywtdACLcBGAsYHQ/w437-h640/amazonsecretbig.gif) |
The Secret Teachings of All Ages, by Manly P. Hall. Dense and difficult, sometimes woefully outdated, but worth a read. |
![](https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Z1Z5Fy5HIgc/YW4WKZjTBVI/AAAAAAAAExc/H13y_mTMe8oq8C1JZ9Ke1L82kXc0MfOhQCLcBGAsYHQ/w400-h325/1-START1.png) |
Exile: Escape from the Pit by Spiderweb Software. Taking it back to the '90s! |
![](https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-vZ_mJniM6aY/YW4drak1TmI/AAAAAAAAEx0/l6UvXu8vo7gmG2NXlw_ZhL_brEa0mtPowCLcBGAsYHQ/w426-h640/n7Yco9hRn6Pqoq5k8f0oy6tn8xD.jpg) |
Jason and the Argonauts film (1963). Man those outfits were boss. |
![](https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-SbRis5qc_4s/YW4pMiCO7vI/AAAAAAAAEx8/od_LRVq9nt0u478VnFLFi6EmA43HrPDXgCLcBGAsYHQ/w426-h640/Journey-to-the-Center-of-the-Earth-cover.jpg) |
Journey to the Center of the Earth, by Jules Verne. |
Also: the Wilderlands, everyone's gaming blogs, the SRD, and a giant stack of reference works!
I can't really believe it myself, but Lovecraft doesn't actually get a mention. Land's End is much more pulpy and action-packed, it doesn't really have any sense of horror. There are some gross Lovecraftian monsters but the Chthulhu mythos doesn't even really make sense in the setting, except for a few veiled references.
[LATE EDIT: I forgot one absolutely VITAL component!!!]