Inspiration from Le Guin's A Wizard of Earthsea

One day at work everyone on my team shared shared the best book that they had read recently. A coworker mentioned a few books by Ursula K. Le Guin and recommended A Wizard of Earthsea for fantasy fans. Intrigued, I requested it from the library after the conversation.

It only took a few pages before I was hooked. The world was captivating, and the characters were interesting. There is something about Le Guin's writing style that carried me effortlessly through the story. I finished the book in an hour-long reading session on a plane and am looking forward to the sequel from the library.

The story is set in a world almost entirely covered by water. Humans live on an archipelago of islands and travel around by boat. The narrative is the origin story of a wizard named Ged and how he grew through trials from a blacksmith's son into a power mage. Everything about this book was inspiration for your own RPGs:

• The setting: A world of water dotted with islands of various sizes. Travelling to a new island opens a small world of adventure that is separate and distinct from others around it.
• City wizards: Most settlements have a magic user to serve their needs, from simple healers in villages to powerful mages in cities. A group of small islands might combine their resources to sponsor a wizard.
• Name magic: Knowing the true name to anything is the key to controlling it. Wizards are forever seeking these true names and spend years memorizing them for their spells. People are careful when sharing their true name with others.
• Butterfly effect: Using magic has consequences in a world that is seeking balance. Calling rain to one island in drought takes rain from somewhere else. Wise mages are prudent to use magic because they know that the side effects are unknown.
• Viking raids: This is history inspiring fiction that inspires more fiction. A viking-like people raid settlements on nearby islands. Those people live in fear of the raiders and build defenses.
• Evil stone: (Light spoiler) On one island, Ged comes to a castle that is built upon an ancient stone. When the queen of the castle shows him, Ged recognizes that the stone contains an ancient malevolent spirit that is trying to control the minds of all who live there.

Much more could be said. I hope this serves as both a recommendation for A Wizard of Earthsea and inspiration for your next adventure game.

Sean McPherson works as a software engineer at Khan Academy, and enjoys playing games and watching soccer. He lives with family in Pittsburgh, PA.