https://www.gamedeveloper.com/business/obituary-jim-ward-dungeons-dragons-designer-died-at-age-72 Game Developer is part of the Informa Tech Division of Informa PLC Informa PLC|ABOUT US|INVESTOR RELATIONS|TALENT This site is operated by a business or businesses owned by Informa PLC and all copyright resides with them. Informa PLC's registered office is 5 Howick Place, London SW1P 1WG. Registered in England and Wales. Number 8860726. Logo Informa Game Market ResearchGDC VaultGDCAdvertise With Game Developer Game Developer Logo Stay Updated Stay Updated News Trending Related Topics * Game Industry Layoffs * GDC 2024 Coverage * Generative AI * Investments & Aquisitions * Unionization * Road to the IGF 2024 Top Stories GDC 2024 Game Design Topics Related Topics * Interviews * Q&A's * Deep Dives * Postmortems * Culture * Business * Marketing * Design * Programming * Production * Art * Audio Recent in Topics Read More: Business the Unreal Engine and Unity logos[unrealunit] Programming Why (and how) you should leave Unity and Unreal to make your own engineWhy (and how) you should leave Unity and Unreal to make your own engine byMichael Higham Mar 20, 2024 5 Min Read Dwarf Fortress co-creator Tarn Adams in an interview with NoClip. [tarn_adams] Business Tarn Adams decries industry layoffs mandated by 'horrible, greedy people'Tarn Adams decries industry layoffs mandated by 'horrible, greedy people' byJustin Carter Mar 20, 2024 1 Min Read Blogs Related Topics * All Blogs * Featured Blogs * Blogging Guidelines * Blog Now See All Events Related Topics * GDC 2024 * Game Developer Podcast * Live Webinars Upcoming Events Jobs Related Topics * Game Artist * Game Animation * Video Game Designer * Game Programmer * Gameplay Engineer * Education * More Jobs See All Sponsored By * Business * Console * Mobile * PC Ward joined TSR during Dungeons & Dragons' first boom, and worked on several add-ons for the TTRPG, plus his own science-fantasy game, Metamorphosis Alpha. Picture of Justin Carter Justin Carter, Contributing Editor March 19, 2024 2 Min Read Photograph of game designer James M. Ward. Image via GoFundMe. Jim Ward, a longtime game designer for the Dungeons & Dragons tabletop game, passed away on March 18 at 72 years old. Born May 23, 1951, Ward began his game career in 1976 with his and Rob Kuntz's Gods, Demi-Gods & Heroes rulebook for TSR. That same year, he created Metamorphosis Alpha, TSR's fourth role-playing game ever and its first science-fantasy RPG. At TSR, Ward worked on various modules and supplements. This was at the same time D&D was in its first popularity boom, and the Ruins of Adventure supplement he co-made with David Cook, Steve Winter, and Mike Breault was adapted into the 1988 Pool of Radiance video game. He'd also work his way up the executive ranks, becoming its creative services VP before exiting in 1996 from disagreements with fellow higher-ups. For his work at the time, Ward was inducted into the Academy of Adventure Gaming Arts & Design Hall of Fame in 1989. After leaving TSR, Ward designed a collectible card game for Dragon Ball Z by the late Akira Toriyama. He'd later help make similar games for Robert Jordan's The Wheel of Time, Core Design's Tomb Raider, and the TV series Babylon 5. Eventually, he'd go to co-found his own company, Fast Forward Entertainment, with the likes of fellow role-playing designers like Timothy Brown and Lester W. Smith. He'd later join Troll Games as a writer for game supplements like Castles & Crusades. "I appreciate everything Jim did to help me out when I was working for Gary Gygax many years ago," wrote Hyperborea writer Jeffrey Talanian. "He was so kind, generous, and patient with me. [...] A pleasure to be around. A sad day, indeed." "James leaves behind a legacy that transcends the bounds of time and space, continuing to inspire future generations of writers, gamers, and dreamers," reads his Facebook eulogy. "His spirit will forever dwell in the worlds he brought to life and the hearts of those who knew him. Read more about: Obituaries About the Author(s) Justin Carter Justin Carter Contributing Editor, GameDeveloper.com A Kansas City, MO native, Justin Carter has written for numerous sites including IGN, Polygon, and SyFy Wire. In addition to Game Developer, his writing can be found at io9 over on Gizmodo. Don't ask him about how much gum he's had, because the answer will be more than he's willing to admit. See more from Justin Carter Daily news, dev blogs, and stories from Game Developer straight to your inbox Stay Updated You May Also Like --------------------------------------------------------------------- Latest News Chris Zukowski at the GDC mic[steamsecre] Marketing The secret to using Steam as a developer is to make Valve earn their 30 percentThe secret to using Steam as a developer is to make Valve earn their 30 percent byImran Khan Mar 20, 2024 4 Min Read Amy Hennig on stage at State of Unreal 2024[State_of_U] Production Unreal Engine blockbusters and UEFN tools take center stage at State of UnrealUnreal Engine blockbusters and UEFN tools take centre stage at State of Unreal byChris Kerr Mar 20, 2024 4 Min Read Get daily news, dev blogs, and stories from Game Developer straight to your inbox Subscribe to Game Developer Newsletters to stay caught up with the latest news, design insights, marketing tips, and more Stay Updated GD @ GDC 2024 Chris Zukowski at the GDC mic[steamsecre] Marketing The secret to using Steam as a developer is to make Valve earn their 30 percentThe secret to using Steam as a developer is to make Valve earn their 30 percent byImran Khan Mar 20, 2024 4 Min Read Amy Hennig on stage at State of Unreal 2024[State_of_U] Production Unreal Engine blockbusters and UEFN tools take center stage at State of UnrealUnreal Engine blockbusters and UEFN tools take centre stage at State of Unreal byChris Kerr Mar 20, 2024 4 Min Read gdc logo[updated_re] Mar 18 - Mar 22, 2024 Mar 18 - Mar 22, 2024 GDC is the game industry's premier professional event, championing game developers and the advancement of their craft. Learn More Trending Chris Zukowski at the GDC mic[steamsecre] Marketing The secret to using Steam as a developer is to make Valve earn their 30 percentThe secret to using Steam as a developer is to make Valve earn their 30 percent byImran Khan Mar 20, 2024 4 Min Read Amy Hennig on stage at State of Unreal 2024[State_of_U] Production Unreal Engine blockbusters and UEFN tools take center stage at State of UnrealUnreal Engine blockbusters and UEFN tools take centre stage at State of Unreal byChris Kerr Mar 20, 2024 4 Min Read A green figure has its hand raised in front of an open door, as if welcoming people inside.[Gaming_for] Production Xbox rolls out new framework to help devs design better for inclusivityXbox rolls out new framework to help devs design better for inclusivity byBryant Francis Mar 20, 2024 3 Min Read Featured Blogs [GDBlogs_He] Design How to build a narrative in a PvP game: without a narrative designer on the team How to build a narrative in a PvP game: without a narrative designer on the team Mar 14, 2024 [BBQ_HitchL] Business Our Industry Needs a Change Featured Blog | Our Industry Needs a Change Mar 13, 2024 [Rooster_Ke] Design The Upside of Using Culture and Personal Stories as Game Pillars The Upside of Using Culture and Personal Stories as Game Pillars Mar 13, 2024 Game Developer Logo More from GD Blog with Game DeveloperBlogging GuidelinesGame Developer Podcast Submit a Tip Connect About UsAdvertise With Game DeveloperContact Us Join Us Stay Updated Follow Us GDC Vault LogoGame Developer Job BoardGDCOmdia Informa Tech Copyright (c) 2024. All rights reserved. Informa Tech, a trading division of Informa PLC. Home|Cookie Policy|Privacy|Terms of Use