‘Magic & Monsters of Lankhmar’ Takes 5E Back to D&D’s Oldest Inspiration
A new book promises a return to one of the oldest inspirations for D&D. Magic & Monsters of Lankhmar brings the grit of Leiber to 5E.
Few books have had a greater impact on Dungeons & Dragons than Fritz Leiber’s stories of Fafhrd and the Gray Mouser. These two adventurers were created by the originator of the phrase “sword and sorcery.” Go back and read any of the stories, and you might be surprised to find the very same antics at your table written large.
These tales of a broad-shouldered warrior and cunning thief companion involve creativity and dark humor. You might find them strapping fireworks to skis to rocket across dangerous chasms. Or mocking people in power trying to deliver elevated monologues.
The elements of humor and brazenness that cook up the perfect recipe for adventure are what D&D strives for. And it all took place in the city of Lankhmar. A city so rich and detailed it helped fill out several 1st Edition books. Now, Dungeon Crawl Classics is bringing that world to 5th Edition.
Magic & Monsters of Lankhmar will bring the city of Lankhmar, and the world of Nehwon to 5th Edition in a brand new book.
Magic & Monsters of Lankhmar
Lankhmar is the most famous fantasy city of all time. Its most notorious residents are the legendary fighters and thieves, Fafhrd and the Gray Mouser. The first Lankhmar story was written in 1937 by Fritz Leiber, who went on to coin the phrase “sword-and-sorcery” to describe the genre of which it is part. Leiber’s works played a significant role in the development of the tabletop gaming hobby. He is listed as one of the six most influential authors in the creation of Dungeons & Dragons in the famed “Appendix N” where Gary Gygax describes his primary sources for the game.
Now DCC is crowdfunding over on Indiegogo to bring Magic & Monsters of Lankhmar to life. Written by a “Leiber aficionado”, this book brings Lankhmar’s “crunchy bits” to 5E. What does that mean exactly?
In a nutshell, it’s a collection of monsters and, well, magic. Both spells and magic items. But it isn’t just any splatbook. DCC’s team delves deep into the world of Lankhmar. Including making a trip to the University of Houston to access the Fritz Leiber Papers collection. Meaning that material heretofore unseen by most will make its way into the book.
Old monsters, new to 5th Edition torn straight from historical archives. It sounds like something out of a movie from the late 90s. Where you start playing the game and then suddenly it gets a little too real. But you’ll find a much more benign magic portal in this tome.
New monsters include:
- Behemoth
- Beloved of Tyaa
- Bleak Shore Executioner
- Dragon of Nehwon (including customization tables)
- Fish-Of-The-Air
- Ghost Hound
- Ice Gnome
- Invisibles of Stardock (including Duelist and Noble Wizard variants)
- Kleshite Ghoul
- Leviathan
- Nehwon Ghoul (including Raid Captain variant)
- Rats of Lankhmar Below (in 2 sizes)
- Simorgyan (including Noble variant)
- Simorgyan Manta
- Snow Serpent
- Statue of Devourers
- War Cat
Alongside those? Six new spells and eight new items. And this is just the first of many. Check out the campaign now on Indiegogo!
Happy Adventuring
