20 August 2015

Please help Jim Ward

To be happy, do what you love. James ("Jim") M. Ward has, bringing us much RPG fun over the years, but it is not the best paying industry, and so some of our heroes, like Jim, find themselves needing a helping hand.

Jim Ward
Jim Ward is best known for his years at TSR Hobbies. His first work was Gods, Demi-Gods& Heroes, for the original D&D (1976), followed by Dieties & Demigods for first edition AD&D (1980), Greyhawk Adventures (1988), and an adventure  that became the basis for the excellent computer game Pool of Radiance. He helped redesign the game into the second edition, and in 1989 was inducted into the Academy of Adventure Gaming Arts & Design Hall of Fame.

His best work, IMHO, has to be Metamorphosis Alpha. It was far more interesting than D&D at the time. D&D had no real background, just a bunch of rules for people to make their own worlds up. This was 1976, and Gary Gygax never thought anyone would want a pre-made world at the time. He had his world, others had their worlds, but none were published at the time. Here comes Jim Ward and he designs Metamorphosis Alpha, which not only gave rules, but a full background to play in. Characters were trapped in a colony ship where disaster has struck. People mutate. Technology is no longer understood. It was an apocalyptic world on a star ship. Goodman Games ran a successful Kickstarter in May to make a new edition, with Jim involved, so it will be back!

After TSR he continued to work in the industry, writing for Margaret Weis Games and Troll Lord Games, among others. It was always quality work with him.

Jim was stricken with a neurological disorder in 2010, and it is sapping his resources, and he has operations to come. I am asking you to help Jim out. Go to this GoFundMe page and give what you can.  

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