Darren Watts (February 17, 1969 – December 31, 2022) was an American game designer who was one of the founders (along with Steve Long) of DOJ Inc. and the president of

Hero Games Hero Games (''DOJ, Inc dba Hero Games'') is the publisher of the Hero System, a generic roleplaying rules set that can be used to simulate many different genres, and was the co-developer of the ''Fuzion'' system. History In 1981, George MacDon ...

, publishers of roleplaying games using the

Hero System The ''Hero System'' is a generic role-playing game system that was developed from the superhero RPG '' Champions''. After ''Champions'' fourth edition was released in 1989, a stripped-down version of its ruleset with no superhero or other genre ...

such as ''

Champions A champion (from the late Latin ''campio'') is the Victory, victor in a challenge, Competition, contest or competition. There can be a territorial pyramid of championships, e.g. local, regional / provincial, state, national, continental and w ...

'', ''

Fantasy Hero ''Fantasy Hero'' is a role-playing game book originally published by Hero Games in 1985 that allows gamemasters to plan and present fantasy role-playing games using the Hero System rules. Several revised editions of the book have subsequently bee ...

'' and '' Star Hero''. He contributed to multiple conventions for Double Exposure, podcasts such as Explain This, Comics Guys!, and wrote, contributed, and edited many other RPGs.

Life and career

Darren Watts named his company DOJ, after his

Golden Age The term Golden Age comes from Greek mythology, particularly the ''Works and Days'' of Hesiod, and is part of the description of temporal decline of the state of peoples through five Ages of Man, Ages, Gold being the first and the one during ...

era ''

'' game, which was known as the "Defenders of Justice". DOJ bought the Hero Games rights and assets from Cybergames, Inc. on December 19, 2001. Watts was the president and co-owner of Hero Games. Watts wrote or co-wrote (among others) '' Champions Universe'', ''

Millennium City A millennium (plural millennia or millenniums) is a period of one thousand years, sometimes called a kiloannus, kiloannum (ka), or kiloyear (ky). Normally, the word is used specifically for periods of a thousand years that begin at the starting ...

'', '' UNTIL: Defenders Of Freedom'', '' Champions Worldwide'', and '' Lucha Hero'', the RPG of Mexican wrestling and monster movies. He also has a supplement for the Doctor Who – Adventures in Time and Space: The Roleplaying Game featuring the

Fifth Doctor The Fifth Doctor is an incarnation of the Doctor, the protagonist of the BBC science fiction television series ''Doctor Who''. He is portrayed by Peter Davison. Within the series' narrative, the Doctor is a centuries-old alien Time Lord from t ...

in the works for

Cubicle 7 Cubicle 7 Entertainment Ltd is an Irish games company that creates and publishes tabletop games. Best known for its ''Doctor Who'' and ''Lord of the Rings'' games, Cubicle 7 offers titles covering a range of licensed and self-developed properties ...

. Darren also worked behind the scenes for many publishers, including Chaosium, where he provided recent editorial support on the 7th Sea novels and the latest edition of Phyllis Ann Karr’s The Arthurian Companion. Watts was known in industry circles as a community builder with a strong desire to improve the quality of the games we all publish and play, but also the social conditions that underpin their creation. Darren’s most lasting impact on the tabletop community may come from the hours and effort he devoted to supporting smaller publishers and independent creators, helping them craft better games and find their audience through his work with

Indie Press Revolution Indie Press Revolution (also referred to as "IPR") is a sales network that acts as a fulfillment house for publishers of indie role-playing games. It was founded in 2004 by Ed Cha of Open World Press and Brennan Taylor of Galileo Games. IPR repre ...

, local gaming conventions, the Metatopia Game Design Festival, and the First Exposure Playtest Hall at

Gen Con Gen Con is the largest tabletop game convention in North America by both attendance and number of events. It features traditional pen-and-paper, board, and card games, including role-playing games, miniatures wargames, live action role-playing ...

. Watts died from complications of a heart attack on December 31, 2022, at the age of 53.

Selected works

* ''The Atlantean Age'' (editor, 2008) * ''Book of the Destroyer'' (editor, 2008) * ''The Book of Dragons'' (editor, 2009) * ''Book of the Empress'' (editor, 2012) * ''Book of the Machine'' (editor, 2009) * ''Champions (25th Anniversary Edition)'' (editor, 2006) * ''Champions Battlegrounds'' (editor, 2003) * ''Champions Beyond'' (editor, 2011) * ''Champions: Live Action'' (2012) * ''Champions Powers'' (editor, 2010) * ''Champions Universe (5th Edition)'' (2002) * ''Champions Universe (6th Edition)'' (2010) * ''Champions Universe: News Of The World'' (2007) * ''Champions Villains Volume One: Master Villains'' (additional contributions, 2010) * ''Champions Villains Volume Two: Villain Teams'' (additional contributions, 2010) * ''Champions Villains Volume Three: Solo Villains'' (additional contributions, 2010) * ''Champions Worldwide'' (2005) * ''Conquerors, Killers, And Crooks'' (2002) * ''Cops, Crews, and Cabals'' (editor, 2007) * ''The Eighth Doctor Sourcebook'' (2015) * ''Evil Unleashed'' (2006) * ''Fantasy Hero (5th Edition)'' (editor, 2003) * ''Fantasy Hero (6th Edition)'' (editor, 2010) * ''The Fifth Doctor Sourcebook'' (2014) * ''Galactic Champions'' (2004) * ''Golden Age Champions'' (2017) * ''Hero System (5th Edition)'' (2002) * ''Hero System (5th Edition Revised)'' (2004) * ''Hero System Advanced Players Guide II'' (editor, 2011) * ''Hero System Bestiary (6th Edition)'' (editor, 2010) * ''Hero System Equipment Guide'' (editor, 2010) * ''Hero System Grimoire'' (editor, 2010) * ''Hero System Resource Kit (5th Edition)'' (2003) * ''Hero System Skills'' (editor, 2010) * ''Hidden Lands'' (2005) * ''Lucha Libre Hero'' (2009) * ''Millennium City'' (2003) * ''Monster Island'' (editor, 2008) * ''Nobles, Knights, And Necromancers'' (editor, 2006) * ''Post-Apocalyptic Hero'' (2007) * ''PS238: The Roleplaying Game'' (editor, 2008) * ''Raiders of the Lost Artifacts: Original Edition Rules for Fantastic Archaeological Adventures'' (2017) * ''Spacers Toolkit'' (editor, 2003) * ''Thrilling Hero Adventures'' (editor, 2009) * ''Tuala Morn: A Realm Of Celtic Wonder and Magic'' (editor, 2007) * ''The Ultimate Base'' (editor, 2009) * ''The Ultimate Energy Projector'' (editor, 2007) * ''The Ultimate Martial Artist'' (editor, 2002) * ''The Ultimate Mentalist'' (editor, 2006) * ''The Ultimate Skill'' (editor, 2006) * ''UNTIL: Defenders Of Freedom'' (2003) * ''UNTIL Superpowers Database'' (editor, 2001) * ''UNTIL Superpowers Database (Revised)'' (editor, 2003) * ''UNTIL Superpowers Database II'' (2005) * ''Urban Fantasy Hero'' (editor, 2008) * ''Vibora Bay'' (2004) * ''Villains, Vandals, and Vermin'' (editor, 2007) * ''We Rate Dogs! The Card Game'' (2019) * ''Worlds of Empire'' (2006)

References

External links

Pen and Paper credits for Darren Watts

RPGGeek credits for Darren Watts
{{DEFAULTSORT:Watts, Darren 1969 births 2022 deaths Hero System Role-playing game designers