Thieves' World: Difference between revisions

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''Thieves' World'' is a dark urban fantasy [[Shared Universe]] created by [[Robert Asprin]] in 1978 and mostly focused on the city of Sanctuary. It drew in authors like [[Poul Anderson]], [[John Brunner]], [[Andrew J Offutt]], [[CJ Cherryh]], [[Janet Morris]] and [[Marion Zimmer Bradley]] to contribute, and generated a buttload of books (12 short story compilations, 8 official novels, some graphic novel adaptations of the compilations and roleplaying adaptations from the likes of Chaosium and FASA) before it went on hiatus in 1989.
''Thieves' World'' is a dark urban fantasy [[Shared Universe]] created by [[Robert Asprin]] in 1978 and mostly focused on the city of Sanctuary. It drew in authors like [[Poul Anderson]], [[John Brunner]], [[Andrew J Offutt]], [[C. J. Cherryh]], [[Janet Morris]] and [[Marion Zimmer Bradley]] to contribute, and generated a buttload of books (12 short story compilations, 8 official novels, some graphic novel adaptations of the compilations and roleplaying adaptations from the likes of Chaosium and FASA) before it went on hiatus in 1989.


Then in 2002 [[Lynn Abbey]] published a new novel in the universe, ''Sanctuary'' which re-started the series several decades later. Two additional anthologies were published, as well as D20 books from [[Green Ronin]].
Then in 2002 [[Lynn Abbey]] published a new novel in the universe, ''Sanctuary'' which re-started the series several decades later. Two additional anthologies were published, as well as D20 books from [[Green Ronin]].
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* [[The Archmage]] - Hazard mages.
* [[The Archmage]] - Hazard mages.
* [[Art Initiates Life]] - A great mage gave one of the recurring characters this ability but most of the time it proved [[Blessed With Suck|rather inconvenient]].
* [[Art Initiates Life]] - A great mage gave one of the recurring characters this ability but most of the time it proved [[Blessed with Suck|rather inconvenient]].
* [[Aura Vision]]
* [[Aura Vision]]
* [[Blessed With Suck]] - Tempus, {{spoiler|whose role as the avatar of the storm god makes him immortal but not invulnerable. No matter how horribly he's injured he ''will heal eventually'' suffering all the while. The same god also made him incapable of "taking a woman in gentleness".}}
* [[Blessed with Suck]] - Tempus, {{spoiler|whose role as the avatar of the storm god makes him immortal but not invulnerable. No matter how horribly he's injured he ''will heal eventually'' suffering all the while. The same god also made him incapable of "taking a woman in gentleness".}}
** That's a mix of divine contract and being cursed by a mage. Along with his sister.
** That's a mix of divine contract and being cursed by a mage. Along with his sister.
*** As one of [[The Spoony Experiment|Spoony's]] [http://spoonyexperiment.com/2012/03/04/counter-monkey-thieves-world-part-1-poor-impulse-control/ Counter Monkey's stories] show, this can suck even worse than one would expect.
*** As one of [[The Spoony Experiment|Spoony's]] [http://spoonyexperiment.com/2012/03/04/counter-monkey-thieves-world-part-1-poor-impulse-control/ Counter Monkey's stories] show, this can suck even worse than one would expect.
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* [[The City Narrows]]
* [[The City Narrows]]
* [[Conditional Powers]] - The powers of the blue star adepts require them to keep a [[Dark Secret]] about themselves and they lose their powers if that secret becomes known.
* [[Conditional Powers]] - The powers of the blue star adepts require them to keep a [[Dark Secret]] about themselves and they lose their powers if that secret becomes known.
* [[Crapsack Only By Comparison]]: In "Looking for Satan", Sanctuary is seen as especially awful by to a group of people who come from a [[Utopia]].
* [[Crapsack Only by Comparison]]: In "Looking for Satan", Sanctuary is seen as especially awful by to a group of people who come from a [[Utopia]].
* [[Crapsack World]] - Sanctuary is not a nice place to live unless you are very rich. If you are very rich, most of the rest of the population want to kill you and take your stuff. And they may try -- unless some rival will manage to get rid of you before, that is.
* [[Crapsack World]] - Sanctuary is not a nice place to live unless you are very rich. If you are very rich, most of the rest of the population want to kill you and take your stuff. And they may try -- unless some rival will manage to get rid of you before, that is.
* [[Curse of the Ancients]] - "Crow!"
* [[Curse of the Ancients]] - "Crow!"
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* [[Mugging the Monster]] - Wess vs. Bauchle Mayne and an accomplice in the story "Looking For Satan" in Book 3 ''Shadows of Sanctuary''. Ischade due to her curse seeks such incidents.
* [[Mugging the Monster]] - Wess vs. Bauchle Mayne and an accomplice in the story "Looking For Satan" in Book 3 ''Shadows of Sanctuary''. Ischade due to her curse seeks such incidents.
* [[Obfuscating Stupidity]] - Prince Kadakithis was nicknamed "Kittycat" soon after he arrived and [[New Era Speech|Publically expressed a naive intention to clean up the city]] but it didn't take long for Sanctuary to beat the naivete out of him. Afterwards he chooses to pretend he's still a weak-willed wide-eyed aristocratic dilettante. He never stops trying to improve the city; he just gets more subtle and realistic about it.
* [[Obfuscating Stupidity]] - Prince Kadakithis was nicknamed "Kittycat" soon after he arrived and [[New Era Speech|Publically expressed a naive intention to clean up the city]] but it didn't take long for Sanctuary to beat the naivete out of him. Afterwards he chooses to pretend he's still a weak-willed wide-eyed aristocratic dilettante. He never stops trying to improve the city; he just gets more subtle and realistic about it.
* [[Power At a Price]] - Magic-users inevitably turn out to be either cursed or paying a price. Sometimes bordering on [[Blessed With Suck]].
* [[Power At a Price]] - Magic-users inevitably turn out to be either cursed or paying a price. Sometimes bordering on [[Blessed with Suck]].
* [[Power Tattoo]] - the Blue Star Adepts
* [[Power Tattoo]] - the Blue Star Adepts
* [[Psychic Powers]] - At least three different traditions - S'Danzo seers ([[Spider Sense|precognition]]), Bandaran adepts ([[Aura Vision]] and other sensory powers, self control) and barbarians (body enhancements like [[Super Speed]] and other useful tricks).
* [[Psychic Powers]] - At least three different traditions - S'Danzo seers ([[Spider Sense|precognition]]), Bandaran adepts ([[Aura Vision]] and other sensory powers, self control) and barbarians (body enhancements like [[Super Speed]] and other useful tricks).
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* [[Summoning Artifact]]
* [[Summoning Artifact]]
* [[Tarot Motifs]]
* [[Tarot Motifs]]
* [[Welcome to The Big City]] - In "Looking For Satan" by Vonda McIntyre.
* [[Welcome to the Big City]] - In "Looking For Satan" by Vonda McIntyre.
* [[Wretched Hive]]
* [[Wretched Hive]]


Revision as of 02:42, 9 April 2014

Thieves' World is a dark urban fantasy Shared Universe created by Robert Asprin in 1978 and mostly focused on the city of Sanctuary. It drew in authors like Poul Anderson, John Brunner, Andrew J Offutt, C. J. Cherryh, Janet Morris and Marion Zimmer Bradley to contribute, and generated a buttload of books (12 short story compilations, 8 official novels, some graphic novel adaptations of the compilations and roleplaying adaptations from the likes of Chaosium and FASA) before it went on hiatus in 1989.

Then in 2002 Lynn Abbey published a new novel in the universe, Sanctuary which re-started the series several decades later. Two additional anthologies were published, as well as D20 books from Green Ronin.

The stories by in large focus on the poorer and nastier inhabitants of Sanctuary, a desert town on the edge of the Rankan Empire. It is implied that a good amount of the conflict in many of the stories is the result of the struggle between the warlike Rankan gods and the Ilsigi ones they displaced when they took over. Later in the series, the city is reconquered by a new group - the snake-worshipping Beysib - which adds another faction to the divine squabbling already going on.

See also the fan site.

Thieves' World embodies the following tropes:

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