History ShoutOut / TabletopGames

--> This is especially useful when a Lunar finds human form imprudent, but wants to tell someone that [...] her child is trapped in a collapsed mineshaft.

* The Free Council book for ''MageTheAwakening'' features a [[PrestigeClass Legacy]] known as [[TheInvisibles The Blank Badges]], who use persona-masking magics to subvert authority and push the borders of reality. Seeing as ''TheInvisibles'' shared a lot of themes with both the Free Council and ''Awakening'''s [[MageTheAscension predecessor game]], this seems like a logical ShoutOut.

*** [=WG7=] ''Castle Greyhawk'': The Plane of Silly and Unused Monsters (Island of Misfit Toys in ''RudolphTheRedNosedReindeer'')

* ''Pokethulhu'' is one long shout-out to both ''{{Pokemon}}'' and the works of HPLovecraft. The TeamRocket knockoffs are named Derleth and Bloch, after a pair of CthulhuMythos writers, and signs on the map include "Yellow" (a reference to ''TheKingInYellow'') and "Muskratonic University" (because the artist is JohnKovalic, who [[DorkTower has a soft spot for muskrats]]). It goes on like this for quite a while.

* ''{{Warhammer 40000}}'' has ''tonnes'' of these, some subtle, some just plain obvious. The Inquisitor Lord Fyodor Karamazov is a ShoutOut to ''TheBrothersKaramazov'', there's a Dark Eldar character with black and white hair called "Kruellagh the Vile", a ShoutOut to Cruella de Vil, and the entire Necron ''race'' is one big ShoutOut to the ''Terminator'' franchise.

*** I13 ''Adventure Pack I'', adventure "The Weird Woods of Baron Orchid". A sign says "I'd turn back if I were you", a reference to the sign in the woods near the castle of the Wicked Witch of the West in the 1939 film ''TheWizardOfOz''.

*** The [[PrestigeClass Folchurian Lyrist]] from ''Complete Adventurer'', is essentially an updated version of the first edition bard.

*** Updated versions from earlier editions:
**** The [[PrestigeClass Folchurian Lyrist]] from ''Complete Adventurer'', is essentially an updated version of the first edition bard.
**** The Cavalier and Thief-Acrobat are based on the AD&D v1.5 classes of the same name.

** Here are a few Prestige Classes from 3.5:

** The [[PrestigeClass Folchurian Lyrist]] from ''Complete Adventurer'', is essentially an updated version of the first edition bard.

*** [[Series/DungeonsAndDragons Cavalier and Thief-Acrobat]]

** The [[PrestigeClass Folchurian Lyrist]] from ''Complete Adventurer'', is essentialy an updated version of the first edition bard.
** The ''ForgottenRealms'' setting has its share. Including [[http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/rl/20040825a this]] :

*** I13 ''Adventure Pack I'', adventure "The Weird Woods of Baron Orchid". A sign says "I'd turn back if I were you", a reference to the sign in the woods near the castle of the Wicked Witch of the West in the 1939 film "TheWizardOfOz''.
** Here are a few Prestige Classes from 3.5:
*** [[Series/DungeonsAndDragons Cavalier and Thief-Acrobat]]
*** [[ThePrincessBride Dread Pirate]]
*** DrunkenMaster
*** [[WuTangClan Ghost Face]] [[{{Scream}} Killer]]
*** [[TheShadow Shadowmind]]
*** [[ThePunisher Vigilante]]
*** [[TheHulk War Hulk]]

* A common StockShoutOut [[PicturePastiche for RPG book art]] is [[http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/alumni/20060602a the cover]] of the 1st edition ''Advanced DungeonsAndDragons'' Player's Handbook (second picture from the top). Examples include the covers for the ''[[{{Defictionalization}} Hackmaster]]'' main rulebook, and the ''{{Exalted}}'' sourcebook "Scroll of Exalts".

* ''MonstersAndOtherChildishThings'' was never exactly shy about Shout Outs, but the sourcebook ''BiggerBads'' probably wins for sheer volume, with references or homages to everything from ''{{Godzilla}}'', to ''H.P. Lovecraft'', to {{Sentai}} shows, to Ultraman, to the ChickTract ''Dark Dungeons.''

** Don't forget Ciaphas Cain. Very likely a Shout Out to {{Flashman}}.

** We could list these all day and still not scratch the surface. This troper's favourite ShoutOut is in the backstory of the Night Lords Traitor Legion -- the Legion's Primarch, [[HeartOfDarkness Konrad Curze, surrenders completely to death and terror,]] [[ApocalypseNow and makes no attempt to prevent his own assassination at the hands of an assassin whose name is none other than "M'Shen".]]

* A common StockShoutOut for RPG book art is [[http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/alumni/20060602a the cover]] of the 1st edition ''Advanced DungeonsAndDragons'' Player's Handbook (second picture from the top). Examples include the covers for the ''[[{{Defictionalization}} Hackmaster]]'' main rulebook, and the ''{{Exalted}}'' sourcebook "Scroll of Exalts".

* The Yu-Gi-Oh Card Game has references to both [[TheLegendOfZelda Ganondorf]] ("Garlandolf, King of Destruction"), and [[MetalGearSolid Solid Snake]] (TacticalEspionage Expert).

** Another suggests that reality altering "timequakes" might be especially common in worlds with superhumans.