#james m. ward

[theoutcastrogue]

"The second edition of AD&D was finally released in early 1989. Many of the changes turned out to be cosmetic. One of the biggest was that the sizes of the Player’s Handbook (1989) and Dungeon Master’s Guide (1989) were reversed. Back in 1978 Gygax had decided that it was best if the players did not know the rules, and so the original Player’s Handbook was a skeleton that didn’t even detail combat. Now the entire roleplaying industry had accepted the fact that players and gamemasters were united in games — not adversaries — and the new rules reflected this. [...]

Perhaps most surprisingly, the rules were once again presented as “guidelines” — a reversal from Gygax’s original goal for the AD&D lines. Finally, the character classes were indeed cleaned up, with Arneson’s assassin and monk eliminated.

Though Cook had said that assassins were removed due to problems of party unity, their excision has always been seen by the public as part of TSR’s well-documented attempt to make AD&D more public friendly — TSR’s only allowance to the religious hysteria that had shadowed the game throughout the 1980s. Half-orcs were similarly removed as player characters, and demons and devils were eliminated entirely.

James M. Ward, who had instituted the removal of demons and devils, explained in Dragon #154 (February 1990) that “[a]voiding the Angry Mother Syndrome has become a good, basic guideline for all of the designers and editors at TSR, Inc.” Apparently, TSR had received one letter a week complaining about the demons and devils since the original Monster Manual was printed, and those 624 letters, or what Ward called “a lot of letters,” had been the reason he’d removed the infernal races.

The readers were not amused, and to his credit Ward printed many of their replies in Dragon #158 (June 1990). One reader stated that the decision “becomes censorship when an outside group dictates to you … what you should print.” The release of the Outer Planes Appendix (1991) for the Monstrous Compendium assuaged some of the anger because it restored demons as “tanar’ri” and devils as “baatezu,” but some fans left D&D entirely as a result of this decision."

— Shannon Appelcline, Designers & Dragons: The ’70s

#d&d history #Shannon Appelcline #Designers & Dragons #tsr #gary gygax #ad&d #ad&d 2e #assassin #monk #fiend #David “Zeb” Cook #James M. Ward #information wants to be free

[miniaturegiantspacerat]

The cover of Faeriemound of Dragonkind, 1987.

A GM-less solo adventure game book originally published by TSR, now out of print.

#clyde caldwell #Catacombs Books #Faerie Mound of Dragonkind #Jean Blashfield #James M. Ward #Dungeons and Dragons #choose your own adventure #80s fantasy art #fantasy art

[misternizz]

What Jim Ward meant to me

The designer of Metamorphasis Alpha and Gamma World has passed James M. Ward passed away the day before yesterday. Rumor was going around he was already at GaryCon, held this weekend, but I have no idea if that’s true. I think it would have added a level of versimilitude to his death if he had passed away at a convention honoring the works of his old company, TSR, and specifically bearing the…

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#appreciation #Gamma World #James M. Ward #Metamorphasis Alpha #obituary

[shaneplays]

Continuing the tributes to James M. Ward in light of his recent passing, his "dungeon in space" RPG Metamorphosis Alpha was the first sci-fi RPG in 1976 (Traveller followed in 1977). Ward's generation ship setting was inspired by Brian Aldiss's 1958 novel Non-Stop (also published as Starship), and he went on to work on other well-known RPG products like Gamma World (also sci-fi) and Deities & Demigods. Game on… on Sci-Fi Saturday!!

#james ward #james m. ward #sci-fi #sci fi #sci fi saturday #sci-fi saturday #science fiction #games #history #rpg #ttrpg

[oldschoolfrp]

Game designer Jim Ward has passed away at age 72. He was the author of many early D&D titles and Dragon articles, including Supplement IV: Gods, Demi-Gods & Heroes for OD&D (1976) and Deities & Demigods for AD&D (1980), both with Rob Kuntz, and the AD&D book Greyhawk Adventures (1988).

He created the first sci-fi RPG, Metamorphosis Alpha (1976), and cowrote the thematically related Gamma World (1978) with Gary Jaquet. Anagrams of his name appear in Greyhawk lore as the mage Drawmij, a member of the Circle of Eight, and the Dramidj Ocean in the far northwest corner of the map.

#Jim Ward #James M Ward #gaming history #D&D #dnd #AD&D #Deities & Demigods #Drawmij #Dramidj Ocean #Gamma World #Greyhawk Adventures #in memoriam #Dungeons & Dragons #TSR #Greyhawk #Dungeons and Dragons

[dyscomancer]

Jim Ward, one of the few remaining original Gygax campaign veterans, died yesterday. He was the big brain behind Deities & Demigods, the 1st Edition sourcebook that gave us many of the now iconic D&D deities like Yondalla and Corellon Larethian.

He was also the designer of Metamorphosis Alpha, a legendary old school sci-fi TTRPG, and he was also original designer of the long-running DBZ card game.

#james m ward #jim ward #osr #osr dnd #dnd #dungeons & dragons #metamorphosis alpha #d&d #drawmij #from the desk

[dndhistory]

451. James M. Ward - 1 on 1 Adventure Gamebooks #4 - Challenge of Druid's Grove (November 1985)

Another of the James Ward gamebooks of 1 on 1 battles this one and, for the first time, the series explicitly declares itself as an AD&D gamebook on the cover, justifying its entry in this list, even if it is coming in a handful of months late.

The story of this one involves a Wizard and a Druid (who curiously are adorning the wrong covers of the books, with the Druid in the Wizard's book and vice-versa) who need to fight a great evil, while at the same time trying to capture each other.

Reviews of the book on gamebooks.org state that it is more of the same as previous installments with little in terms of plot or character depth, but if you enjoyed previous entries you are also likely to enjoy this one.

#adnd #dnd #ttrpg #ad&d #d&d #dnd art #dungeons & dragons #dungeons and dragons #gamebook #james m ward

[stuartarmstrong]

James Ward-Prowse celebrates scoring against Manchester City 16.09.23 | photos by Rob Newell

#*sheds tear* #thats ma guy #james ward prowse #west ham united #premier league #football #**m

[ultrameganicolaokay]

Something is Killing the Children #28 by James Tynion IV, Werther Dell’Edera and Miquel Muerto. Cover by Dell’Edera. Variant covers by (2) E.M. Gist and (3) Christian Ward. Out in January 2023.

“As Erica closes in on the Duplicitype, another hunter closes in on her!

Time is running out for Erica as the ruthless Cutter leaves her with nowhere left to turn.

Weakened and unable to flee from a town that's too full of suspicion to trust her, can Erica find a way to save the people of Tribulation before Cutter arrives? Can she even save herself?”

#something is killing the children #erica slaughter #boom studios #james tynion iv #werther dell'edera #miquel muerto #e. m. gist #christian ward #variant cover #horror #comics

[badmovieihave]

Bad movie I have Z-o-m-b-i-e-s 2018

#Z-o-m-b-i-e-s #Zombies #Disney #Milo Manheim #Meg Donnelly #Trevor Tordjman #Kylee Russell #Carla Jeffery #Kingston Foster #James Godfrey #Naomi Snieckus #Jonathan Langdon #Paul Hopkins #Marie Ward #Tony Nappo #Emilia McCarthy #Mickeey Nguyen #Jasmine Renée Thomas #Alex McCooeye #Kara Wooten #Kim Roberts #Russell Yuen #Ramona Milano #Rong Fu #David Petrie #Michael Brown #Jhaleil Swaby #Cora Kozaris #Megan Serena Trainer #Jenna Katz

[pocketful-of-covers]

my compilation of covers of songs from the 1980s.

#music #spotify #covers #80s #joan as police woman #car seat headrest #smith & burrows #hannah peel #tune-yards #chromatics #kirin j callinan #iron & wine #James Blake #feist #todd terje #bahamas #nick waterhouse #jenn champion #m ward #st vincent #hot chip #nouvelle vague #britta phillips #Xiu Xiu #douglas dare #milktooth #Trespassers William #kele #giant rooks #frantic

[miniaturegiantspacerat]

"Please to enter, sir," a voice sounds suddenly. You hesitate as you realize that an armor-clad elf is standing before you, but his gesture is welcoming, not threatening.

Beyond the elf, at the far end of the room, rises a huge dragon throne. Seated on it is a small, wizened figure that you immediately recognize as the faene king. This is his realm you have entered. How will you fare here?

As you stare at the king, a glass is thrust almost into your face. A leather-clad dwarf peers up at you, offering you a glass of liquid that smells like ale - a welcome smell, indeed!

Other intriguing things scattered around the room catch your eye - a lute, a bottle that appears to be floating in midair, roast meats - but you know that you have to deal with these people first. Will you stop and talk to the elf (9D), take the goblet from the dwarf (32C), or go directly to the faerie king (71A)?

A two page spread and the first room that you encounter in Faerie Mound of Dragonkind (1987, TSR, out of print).

#valerie valusek #faerie mound of dragonkind #Catacombs Books #Dungeons and Dragons #choose your own adventure #80s fantasy art #fantasy art #jean blashfield #james m. ward

[laundryscentedveggieburger]

Termazcal

#monstersoffolk #conor oberst #m ward #jim james #mike #fix this

[shaneplays]

This THAC0 Thursday absolutely has to be dedicated to James M. Ward, whose recent passing surprised and saddened the RPG community. Among many accomplishments in the industry, James created Metamorphosis Alpha (the first published science fiction RPG) which was released from TSR in 1976. He wrote the game after urging Gary Gygax to make a sci-fi version of D&D, to which Gary replied "I don't have time, but why don't you do it?" Challenge accepted! He was also instrumental in the creation of Gamma World, which many think of as the planet-based Metamorphosis Alpha. James M. Ward: An RPG legend gone, an RPG legend remembered… on THAC0 Thursday!!

#james m ward #james ward #tsr #rpg #ttrpg #game designers #sci fi #science fiction #sci-fi #history #thac0 thursday #thaco thursday #thac0 #thaco #gamma world #metamorphosis alpha

[oldschoolfrp]

Old time religion -- A mendicant collects alms outside a temple in the Free City of Greyhawk. (Jeff Easley, AD&D supplement Greyhawk Adventures by Jim Ward, TSR, 1988)

In the world of Greyhawk the priesthood of St Cuthbert is divided into three orders: the Chapeaux, the Stars, and the Billets. All three orders have access to the beguiling spell, which imbues their cudgels with the power to charm one opponent by touch. The cleric may tap the target to help convert them to the faith, or attempt a damaging attack on a more incorrigible soul.

#D&D #Dungeons & Dragons #Jeff Easley #Jim Ward #James M Ward #St Cuthbert #Greyhawk #Greyhawk Adventures #AD&D #dnd #Dungeons and Dragons #temple #fantasy city #urban adventure #TSR

[lens-of-ken]

Monsters of Folk - "Temazcal"

#monsters of folk #jim james #conor oberst #m ward #mike mogis #2009 #indie rock #2000s #Youtube