Magic Ampersand: Difference between revisions
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{{quote|'''Ampersand Law #1.''' Early RPGs always had names in this format: [Something] & [Something Else That Usually Begins With The Same Letter]. (Dungeons & Dragons, Tunnels & Trolls, Villains & Vigilantes, Chivalry & Sorcery, etc.)|[http://www.criticalmiss.com/issue7/rpgcliche1.html RPG Cliche List]}} |
{{quote|'''Ampersand Law #1.''' Early RPGs always had names in this format: [Something] & [Something Else That Usually Begins With The Same Letter]. (Dungeons & Dragons, Tunnels & Trolls, Villains & Vigilantes, Chivalry & Sorcery, etc.)|[http://www.criticalmiss.com/issue7/rpgcliche1.html RPG Cliche List]}} |
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Any fictional [[Tabletop Games|roleplaying game]] can be recognized as such, because it will have a title consisting of two alliterative plural nouns suggestive of its genre separated by an ampersand. A writer in need of a fictitious parallel to ''[[ |
Any fictional [[Tabletop Games|roleplaying game]] can be recognized as such, because it will have a title consisting of two alliterative plural nouns suggestive of its genre separated by an ampersand. A writer in need of a fictitious parallel to ''[[Vampire: The Masquerade]]'', for instance, would probably dub it something like "''Cloaks & Coffins''". Bonus points if the two nouns are [[Dungeons and Dragons|a place name and a monster name]]<ref>Coffins & Cadavers</ref>. |
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The Magic Ampersand form serves the same instant-identification purpose for ad hoc roleplaying games that the [[Chest Insignia]] does for ad hoc superheroes. It's also frequently used to make jokes about fictional creatures playing a roleplaying game based on our own mundane lives. |
The Magic Ampersand form serves the same instant-identification purpose for ad hoc roleplaying games that the [[Chest Insignia]] does for ad hoc superheroes. It's also frequently used to make jokes about fictional creatures playing a roleplaying game based on our own mundane lives. |
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Of course, sometimes there is [[Truth in Television]]: ''[[ |
Of course, sometimes there is [[Truth in Television]]: ''[[Bunnies and Burrows]]'', ''Castles and Crusades'', ''[[Mutants and Masterminds]]'', ''Villains and Vigilantes'', ''[[Tunnels and Trolls]]''... all paying homage to the mother of them all, [[Dungeons and Dragons]]. |
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(Note: [[Pride and Prejudice]] and [[Sense and Sensibility ( |
(Note: [[Pride and Prejudice]] and [[Sense and Sensibility (novel)|Sense and Sensibility]] are aversions of this trope, being [[Jane Austen]] novels.) |
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Compare [[The Noun and |
Compare [[The Noun and the Noun]]. |
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Examples: |
Examples: |
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* Rona Jaffe's ''Mazes & Monsters''. |
* Rona Jaffe's ''Mazes & Monsters''. |
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* An early issue of ''The Dragon'' (the official ''[[Dungeons and Dragons |
* An early issue of ''The Dragon'' (the official ''[[Dungeons and Dragons|Dungeons & Dragons]]'' magazine) actually parodied itself, with an insert cartoon showing several fantasy characters playing a "mundane life" RPG titled ''Papers & Paychecks''. |
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{{quote| ''"We're pretending we are workers and students in an industrialized and technological society."''}} |
{{quote| ''"We're pretending we are workers and students in an industrialized and technological society."''}} |
||
** ''[[Robot Chicken]]'' had a similar parody in one of its small in-between scenes. |
** ''[[Robot Chicken]]'' had a similar parody in one of its small in-between scenes. |
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** One college comedy magazine in the US had another "mundane life" RPG called ''Driveways and Desk Jobs''. |
** One college comedy magazine in the US had another "mundane life" RPG called ''Driveways and Desk Jobs''. |
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** ''[[Kingdom of Loathing]]'' has "Cubicles and Conference Calls". |
** ''[[Kingdom of Loathing]]'' has "Cubicles and Conference Calls". |
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* A fictional roleplaying game/laser tag hybrid called "Aliens & Asteroids" appeared in an episode of ''[[War of the Worlds (TV)|War of the Worlds]]'' |
* A fictional roleplaying game/laser tag hybrid called "Aliens & Asteroids" appeared in an episode of ''[[War of the Worlds (TV series)|War of the Worlds]]'' |
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* "Grottos and Gremlins" from the video game ''[[Bully ( |
* "Grottos and Gremlins" from the video game ''[[Bully (video game)|Bully]]''. |
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* Literary example: Neal Stephenson's ''The Big U'' explicitly compares the LARP ''Sewers and Serpents'', played by characters in the novel, to ''Dungeons and Dragons''. |
* Literary example: Neal Stephenson's ''The Big U'' explicitly compares the LARP ''Sewers and Serpents'', played by characters in the novel, to ''Dungeons and Dragons''. |
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* The [[Web Comic]] ''[[Darths and Droids |
* The [[Web Comic]] ''[[Darths and Droids|Darths & Droids]]''. |
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** Due to the [[Celebrity Paradox]], in the ''Darths & Droids'' universe, the makers of Darths and Droids are working on a similar comic about an RPG version of ''[[Harry Potter]]'': ''[http://www.darthsanddroids.net/wandsandwarts/episodes/0050.html Wands & Warts]''. Every [[Milestone Celebration|50 episodes]], they add a new burrow to this little rabbit hole. |
** Due to the [[Celebrity Paradox]], in the ''Darths & Droids'' universe, the makers of Darths and Droids are working on a similar comic about an RPG version of ''[[Harry Potter]]'': ''[http://www.darthsanddroids.net/wandsandwarts/episodes/0050.html Wands & Warts]''. Every [[Milestone Celebration|50 episodes]], they add a new burrow to this little rabbit hole. |
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** In the ''Wands & Warts'' universe, the makers are working on a screencap comic about ''[[The Sound of Music]]'': ''[http://www.darthsanddroids.net/notesandnazis/episodes/0050.html Notes & Nazis]'' |
** In the ''Wands & Warts'' universe, the makers are working on a screencap comic about ''[[The Sound of Music]]'': ''[http://www.darthsanddroids.net/notesandnazis/episodes/0050.html Notes & Nazis]'' |
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** In that universe universe, the Irregulars are making [http://www.darthsanddroids.net/mutantsandmiscreants/episodes/0050.html Mutants & Miscreants.] (''[[X-Men ( |
** In that universe universe, the Irregulars are making [http://www.darthsanddroids.net/mutantsandmiscreants/episodes/0050.html Mutants & Miscreants.] (''[[X-Men (film)|X-Men]]'') |
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** In THAT universe, they're writing [http://www.darthsanddroids.net/emsandebes/episodes/0050.html Enlisted Men & Extraterrestrial Biological Entities] (''[[Alien ( |
** In THAT universe, they're writing [http://www.darthsanddroids.net/emsandebes/episodes/0050.html Enlisted Men & Extraterrestrial Biological Entities] (''[[Alien (franchise)|Aliens]]''). |
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** Then [http://www.darthsanddroids.net/magiciansandmunchkins/episodes/0050.html Magicians & Munchkins]? (''[[The Wizard of Oz ( |
** Then [http://www.darthsanddroids.net/magiciansandmunchkins/episodes/0050.html Magicians & Munchkins]? (''[[The Wizard of Oz (film)|The Wizard of Oz]]'') |
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** [http://www.darthsanddroids.net/sandalsandspartans/0050.html Sandals & Spartans] (''[[ |
** [http://www.darthsanddroids.net/sandalsandspartans/0050.html Sandals & Spartans] (''[[300]]'', for the 300th strip). |
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** [http://www.darthsanddroids.net/avatars/0050.html Avatars & Avi-Fauna] (''[[Avatar ( |
** [http://www.darthsanddroids.net/avatars/0050.html Avatars & Avi-Fauna] (''[[Avatar (film)|Avatar]]'') |
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** [http://www.darthsanddroids.net/terminators/0050.html Terminators & Temporal Paradoxes] (''[[Terminator]]''). |
** [http://www.darthsanddroids.net/terminators/0050.html Terminators & Temporal Paradoxes] (''[[Terminator]]''). |
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** [http://www.darthsanddroids.net/carcasses/0050.html Carcasses & Carcharadons] ''[[Jaws ( |
** [http://www.darthsanddroids.net/carcasses/0050.html Carcasses & Carcharadons] ''[[Jaws (film)|Jaws]]''. |
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** [http://www.darthsanddroids.net/trenchcoats/0050.html Trenchcoats & Turncoats,] ''[[Casablanca]]''. |
** [http://www.darthsanddroids.net/trenchcoats/0050.html Trenchcoats & Turncoats,] ''[[Casablanca]]''. |
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** [http://www.darthsanddroids.net/amphibians/0050.html Amphibians & Anthropomorphisms], ''[[The Muppet Movie]]''. |
** [http://www.darthsanddroids.net/amphibians/0050.html Amphibians & Anthropomorphisms], ''[[The Muppet Movie]]''. |
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** [http://www.darthsanddroids.net/heists/0050.html Heists & Hypnagogic Hallucinations], based on ''[[ |
** [http://www.darthsanddroids.net/heists/0050.html Heists & Hypnagogic Hallucinations], based on ''[[Inception]]''. |
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** [http://www.darthsanddroids.net/barnacles/0050.html Barnacles & Bilgewater], based on ''[[Pirates of the Caribbean]]''. |
** [http://www.darthsanddroids.net/barnacles/0050.html Barnacles & Bilgewater], based on ''[[Pirates of the Caribbean]]''. |
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** [http://darthsanddroids.net/docs/0050.html Docs & Deloreans] based on ''[[Back to |
** [http://darthsanddroids.net/docs/0050.html Docs & Deloreans] based on ''[[Back to the Future (film)|Back to The Future]]'' |
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* The real-life [[Tabletop Games]] ''Villains and Vigilantes'', by Fantasy Games Unlimited. They also made ''Starships & Spacemen''. |
* The real-life [[Tabletop Games]] ''Villains and Vigilantes'', by Fantasy Games Unlimited. They also made ''Starships & Spacemen''. |
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* ''Wizards & Warriors'' in both [[DC Comics]]' ''Robin'' and an episode of ''[[Quantum Leap]]''. |
* ''Wizards & Warriors'' in both [[DC Comics]]' ''Robin'' and an episode of ''[[Quantum Leap]]''. |
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** [[Wizards and Warriors (TV)|''Wizards & Warriors'']] was also the name of a summer replacement TV series in the early 80s. It parodied many themes and tropes from fantasy stories and FRP games. One episode even featured the hero gathering a "Dungeons and Dragons"-style party of specialists to go on a quest. |
** [[Wizards and Warriors (TV series)|''Wizards & Warriors'']] was also the name of a summer replacement TV series in the early 80s. It parodied many themes and tropes from fantasy stories and FRP games. One episode even featured the hero gathering a "Dungeons and Dragons"-style party of specialists to go on a quest. |
||
** There's yet ''another'' ''[[Wizards and Warriors]]'' series out there...a trilogy of video games developed by Rareware for the [[Nintendo Entertainment System|NES]]. |
** There's yet ''another'' ''[[Wizards and Warriors]]'' series out there...a trilogy of video games developed by Rareware for the [[Nintendo Entertainment System|NES]]. |
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* The webcomic ''Dungeon Damage'' had a group of Dragons playing "Humans and Houses". |
* The webcomic ''Dungeon Damage'' had a group of Dragons playing "Humans and Houses". |
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* The (unnecessarily complex, at least for this first-edition AD&D veteran) [[wikipedia:Powers and Perils|Powers & Perils]] fantasy role-playing game, published by Avalon Hill, if you can believe it. |
* The (unnecessarily complex, at least for this first-edition AD&D veteran) [[wikipedia:Powers and Perils|Powers & Perils]] fantasy role-playing game, published by Avalon Hill, if you can believe it. |
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* The superhero RPG ''[[ |
* The superhero RPG ''[[Mutants and Masterminds]]''. |
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** And the supplements for different comic book genres: ''Wizards & Warlocks'' (sword'n'sorcery comics) and ''Mecha & Manga'' (guess). |
** And the supplements for different comic book genres: ''Wizards & Warlocks'' (sword'n'sorcery comics) and ''Mecha & Manga'' (guess). |
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* An episode of ''[[ |
* An episode of ''[[Dexter's Laboratory]]'', (Itself called ''D & DD'') features the titular character running a game of "Monsters & Mazes". Dee-Dee replaces him as the Game Master, with amusing consequences. |
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* A sketch in ''[[The Onion Movie]]'' featured the game "Wizards & Warbeasts." |
* A sketch in ''[[The Onion Movie]]'' featured the game "Wizards & Warbeasts." |
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* In ''Spellcasting 101: Sorcerers Get All The Girls'', a group of students at Sorcerer University is always playing "Malls & Muggers". |
* In ''Spellcasting 101: Sorcerers Get All The Girls'', a group of students at Sorcerer University is always playing "Malls & Muggers". |
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* From the web series, "Gold": "Goblins & Gold" |
* From the web series, "Gold": "Goblins & Gold" |
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* The computer RPG ''[[Might and Magic]]'' |
* The computer RPG ''[[Might and Magic]]'' |
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* ''[[ |
* ''[[FoxTrot]]'' had a series of strips where Jason and Marcus were playing "Houses & Humans", which is [[Exactly What It Says on the Tin|pretty much what it sounds like]]. |
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* Esther Friesner's fantasy novel ''Majyk by Hook or Crook'' has a brief mention of a game called "Palaces & Puppies." |
* Esther Friesner's fantasy novel ''Majyk by Hook or Crook'' has a brief mention of a game called "Palaces & Puppies." |
||
* [[Firesign Theatre]]: Ah, I don't wanna play ''Dungeons & Vikings''! |
* [[Firesign Theatre]]: Ah, I don't wanna play ''Dungeons & Vikings''! |
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* [[Simon the Sorcerer|Simon the Sorcerer II]] features a group of characters interested in a game called "Apartments and Accountants". Since Simon the Sorcerer is a fantasy series, A&A simulates real life. |
* [[Simon the Sorcerer|Simon the Sorcerer II]] features a group of characters interested in a game called "Apartments and Accountants". Since Simon the Sorcerer is a fantasy series, A&A simulates real life. |
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* ''[[ |
* ''[[Something Positive]]'' of course, has [http://www.somethingpositive.net/sp01142005.shtml its own take on it]. |
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* In ''[[ |
* In ''[[Werewolf: The Apocalypse]]'', one rival to Black Dog Games' ''Talespinner'' system and ''World of Shadow'' setting (a [[Self-Parody]] of [[The World of Darkness]]) was the venerable ''Labyrinths & Lamiae'', formerly owned by LSD Inc, and later by [[Wiszards Of The Coast|Magicians of the Bay]]. |
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** Black Dog themselves produced ''Axes & Arcana'', parodying [[White Wolf]]'s ''Swords & Sorcery''. |
** Black Dog themselves produced ''Axes & Arcana'', parodying [[White Wolf]]'s ''Swords & Sorcery''. |
||
* Two unrelated video games titled ''Swords & Serpents'': one by Imagic for the [[Intellivision]], another by Interplay for the [[Nintendo Entertainment System]]. |
* Two unrelated video games titled ''Swords & Serpents'': one by Imagic for the [[Intellivision]], another by Interplay for the [[Nintendo Entertainment System]]. |
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* ''[[D |
* ''[[D&DS9|D and DS 9]]'' is a fairly standard example. |
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{{reflist}} |
{{reflist}} |
Revision as of 05:24, 8 April 2014
Ampersand Law #1. Early RPGs always had names in this format: [Something] & [Something Else That Usually Begins With The Same Letter]. (Dungeons & Dragons, Tunnels & Trolls, Villains & Vigilantes, Chivalry & Sorcery, etc.)
|
Any fictional roleplaying game can be recognized as such, because it will have a title consisting of two alliterative plural nouns suggestive of its genre separated by an ampersand. A writer in need of a fictitious parallel to Vampire: The Masquerade, for instance, would probably dub it something like "Cloaks & Coffins". Bonus points if the two nouns are a place name and a monster name[1].
The Magic Ampersand form serves the same instant-identification purpose for ad hoc roleplaying games that the Chest Insignia does for ad hoc superheroes. It's also frequently used to make jokes about fictional creatures playing a roleplaying game based on our own mundane lives.
Of course, sometimes there is Truth in Television: Bunnies and Burrows, Castles and Crusades, Mutants and Masterminds, Villains and Vigilantes, Tunnels and Trolls... all paying homage to the mother of them all, Dungeons and Dragons.
(Note: Pride and Prejudice and Sense and Sensibility are aversions of this trope, being Jane Austen novels.)
Compare The Noun and the Noun.
Examples:
- Rona Jaffe's Mazes & Monsters.
- An early issue of The Dragon (the official Dungeons & Dragons magazine) actually parodied itself, with an insert cartoon showing several fantasy characters playing a "mundane life" RPG titled Papers & Paychecks.
"We're pretending we are workers and students in an industrialized and technological society." |
- Robot Chicken had a similar parody in one of its small in-between scenes.
- One college comedy magazine in the US had another "mundane life" RPG called Driveways and Desk Jobs.
- Kingdom of Loathing has "Cubicles and Conference Calls".
- A fictional roleplaying game/laser tag hybrid called "Aliens & Asteroids" appeared in an episode of War of the Worlds
- "Grottos and Gremlins" from the video game Bully.
- Literary example: Neal Stephenson's The Big U explicitly compares the LARP Sewers and Serpents, played by characters in the novel, to Dungeons and Dragons.
- The Web Comic Darths & Droids.
- Due to the Celebrity Paradox, in the Darths & Droids universe, the makers of Darths and Droids are working on a similar comic about an RPG version of Harry Potter: Wands & Warts. Every 50 episodes, they add a new burrow to this little rabbit hole.
- In the Wands & Warts universe, the makers are working on a screencap comic about The Sound of Music: Notes & Nazis
- In that universe universe, the Irregulars are making Mutants & Miscreants. (X-Men)
- In THAT universe, they're writing Enlisted Men & Extraterrestrial Biological Entities (Aliens).
- Then Magicians & Munchkins? (The Wizard of Oz)
- Sandals & Spartans (300, for the 300th strip).
- Avatars & Avi-Fauna (Avatar)
- Terminators & Temporal Paradoxes (Terminator).
- Carcasses & Carcharadons Jaws.
- Trenchcoats & Turncoats, Casablanca.
- Amphibians & Anthropomorphisms, The Muppet Movie.
- Heists & Hypnagogic Hallucinations, based on Inception.
- Barnacles & Bilgewater, based on Pirates of the Caribbean.
- Docs & Deloreans based on Back to The Future
- The real-life Tabletop Games Villains and Vigilantes, by Fantasy Games Unlimited. They also made Starships & Spacemen.
- Wizards & Warriors in both DC Comics' Robin and an episode of Quantum Leap.
- Wizards & Warriors was also the name of a summer replacement TV series in the early 80s. It parodied many themes and tropes from fantasy stories and FRP games. One episode even featured the hero gathering a "Dungeons and Dragons"-style party of specialists to go on a quest.
- There's yet another Wizards and Warriors series out there...a trilogy of video games developed by Rareware for the NES.
- The webcomic Dungeon Damage had a group of Dragons playing "Humans and Houses".
- The (unnecessarily complex, at least for this first-edition AD&D veteran) Powers & Perils fantasy role-playing game, published by Avalon Hill, if you can believe it.
- The superhero RPG Mutants and Masterminds.
- And the supplements for different comic book genres: Wizards & Warlocks (sword'n'sorcery comics) and Mecha & Manga (guess).
- An episode of Dexter's Laboratory, (Itself called D & DD) features the titular character running a game of "Monsters & Mazes". Dee-Dee replaces him as the Game Master, with amusing consequences.
- A sketch in The Onion Movie featured the game "Wizards & Warbeasts."
- In Spellcasting 101: Sorcerers Get All The Girls, a group of students at Sorcerer University is always playing "Malls & Muggers".
- And they're still playing - with no evidence of having stopped at any point in the year between games - in the next game. One of the tasks that your would-be fratmates have to accomplish in order to get through hazing week (which you can watch) is to make them stop.
- From the web series, "Gold": "Goblins & Gold"
- The computer RPG Might and Magic
- FoxTrot had a series of strips where Jason and Marcus were playing "Houses & Humans", which is pretty much what it sounds like.
- Esther Friesner's fantasy novel Majyk by Hook or Crook has a brief mention of a game called "Palaces & Puppies."
- Firesign Theatre: Ah, I don't wanna play Dungeons & Vikings!
- Simon the Sorcerer II features a group of characters interested in a game called "Apartments and Accountants". Since Simon the Sorcerer is a fantasy series, A&A simulates real life.
- Something Positive of course, has its own take on it.
- In Werewolf: The Apocalypse, one rival to Black Dog Games' Talespinner system and World of Shadow setting (a Self-Parody of The World of Darkness) was the venerable Labyrinths & Lamiae, formerly owned by LSD Inc, and later by Magicians of the Bay.
- Black Dog themselves produced Axes & Arcana, parodying White Wolf's Swords & Sorcery.
- Two unrelated video games titled Swords & Serpents: one by Imagic for the Intellivision, another by Interplay for the Nintendo Entertainment System.
- D and DS 9 is a fairly standard example.
- ↑ Coffins & Cadavers