Necromancer Games was an American publisher of

role-playing games A role-playing game (sometimes spelled roleplaying game, RPG) is a game in which players assume the roles of characters in a fictional setting. Players take responsibility for acting out these roles within a narrative, either through literal ac ...

. With offices in

Seattle, Washington Seattle ( ) is a seaport city on the West Coast of the United States. It is the seat of King County, Washington. With a 2020 population of 737,015, it is the largest city in both the state of Washington and the Pacific Northwest region ...

and

Coeur d'Alene, Idaho Coeur d'Alene ( ; french: Cœur d'Alène, lit=Heart of an Awl ) is a city and the county seat of Kootenai County, Idaho, United States. It is the largest city in North Idaho and the principal city of the Coeur d'Alene Metropolitan Statistica ...

, the company specialized in material for the d20 System. Most of its products were released under the

Open Game License The Open Game License (OGL) is a public copyright license by Wizards of the Coast that may be used by tabletop role-playing game developers to grant permission to modify, copy, and redistribute some of the content designed for their games, not ...

Wizards of the Coast Wizards of the Coast LLC (often referred to as WotC or simply Wizards) is an American publisher of games, primarily based on fantasy and science fiction themes, and formerly an operator of retail stores for games. It is currently a subsidia ...

. The company's slogan, "Third Edition Rules, First Edition Feel," alluded to the fact that while its products used the third edition of the ''

Dungeons & Dragons ''Dungeons & Dragons'' (commonly abbreviated as ''D&D'' or ''DnD'') is a fantasy tabletop role-playing game (RPG) originally designed by Gary Gygax and Dave Arneson. The game was first published in 1974 by Tactical Studies Rules, Inc. (TS ...

'' rules system, they strove to mimic the flavor and style found in the game's first edition (1977-1989). The company was on hiatus by 2010, the two founders having started two separate new game companies,

Frog God Games A frog is any member of a diverse and largely carnivorous group of short-bodied, tailless amphibians composing the order Anura (ανοὐρά, literally ''without tail'' in Ancient Greek). The oldest fossil "proto-frog" ''Triadobatrachus'' is ...

and

Legendary Games Legendary may refer to: * Legend, a folklore genre * Legendary (hagiography) ** Anjou Legendarium * J. R. R. Tolkien's legendarium Film and television * Legendary (film), ''Legendary'' (film), a 2010 American sports drama film * ''Legendary'' ...

. In June 2012, Necromancer Games was acquired by Frog God Games. The Necromancer Games logo features a depiction of

Orcus Orcus ( la, Orcus) was a god of the underworld, punisher of broken oaths in Etruscan and Roman mythology. As with Hades, the name of the god was also used for the underworld itself. In the later tradition, he was conflated with Dis Pater. A ...

History

Necromancer Games was founded in 2000 by

Clark Peterson Clark Peterson (born February 7, 1966) is an American film producer and entertainment executive. He produced the Academy Award-winning film '' Monster'', starring Charlize Theron, and has created and produced a wide variety of award-winning fil ...

and Bill Webb, the same year Wizards of the Coast released the third edition of the ''Dungeons & Dragons'' roleplaying game. The company partnered with several other gaming companies to release various products, including

Judges Guild Judges Guild is a game publisher that has been active since 1976. The company created and sold many role-playing game supplements, periodicals and related materials, but became best known during the late 1970s and early 1980s as one of the leadin ...

Kenzer & Company Kenzer & Company (KenzerCo) is a Waukegan, Illinois based publisher of comic books, role-playing games, board games, card games, and miniature games. They are known for the '' Kingdoms of Kalamar'' campaign setting and for their own '' HackMa ...

Malhavoc Press Malhavoc Press is an American publisher of role-playing games, specializing in third-party material for Dungeons & Dragons' third edition. History Game designer Monte Cook left Wizards of the Coast in April 2001, founding Malhavoc Press as a ...

Reaper Miniatures Reaper Miniatures is an American manufacturer of pewter and plastic figurines in the 25–35 mm scale, which include fantasy and science fiction figures. Founded in 1992 by brothers Ed and David Pugh, the company was originally based in For ...

Troll Lord Games Troll Lord Games is an American publisher of role-playing games (based on fantasy and swords & sorcery themes), ''The Crusader'' magazine and other board/dice/card games. They are best known for the ''Castles & Crusades'' role-playing game. Th ...

, and

White Wolf Publishing White Wolf Publishing was an American roleplaying game and book publisher. The company was founded in 1991 as a merger between Lion Rampant

. In August 2000, Necromancer Games released the first ever OGL/ d20 product: The Wizard's Amulet. The adventure won an ENnie in 2001 for ''Best Free Product''. In March 2007, it was announced that

Paizo Paizo Inc. (originally Paizo Publishing.) is an American role-playing game publishing company based in Redmond, Washington, best known for the tabletop role-playing game ''Pathfinder''. The company's name is derived from the Greek word ''paiz ...

would be publishing Necromancer Games products, following the cessation of the deal with

White Wolf Publishing White Wolf Publishing was an American roleplaying game and book publisher. The company was founded in 1991 as a merger between Lion Rampant

. Following the announcement of the impending fourth edition of ''Dungeons & Dragons'' in August 2007, Necromancer announced plans to support that edition with a variety of new products. However, neither any 4th edition nor any remaining 3rd edition products were ever released. While initially enthusiastic about 4th edition and the prospect of being able to publish third-party products for that game, in July 2008 company co-founder Clark Peterson declared the third-party license for fourth edition D&D "a total unmitigated failure".page 179, quoting Clark Peterson of Necromancer Games. Appelcline, Shannon. Designers & Dragons: A History of the Roleplaying Game Industry (4 vols.), (Silver Spring, MD: Evil Hat Productions, 2014).https://digitalcommons.osgoode.yorku.ca/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1058&context=phd A 2010 statement by Peterson announced the company as "dormant for some time" and unlikely to revive. Bill Webb went on to co-found

, focusing on adventures designed for both the ''Pathfinder Roleplaying Game'' and Swords & Wizardry lines. Clark Peterson has since co-created

focusing on plug-in material for ''Pathfinder Roleplaying Game'' adventure paths and sourcebooks. In June 2012, Necromancer Games was acquired by Frog God Games, which now offers older Necromancer products on its website. In July 2014 a Kickstarter was launched by Frog God to fund a series of products for the then-upcoming 5th edition of ''Dungeons & Dragons'', under the Necromancer Games label.

About the First Edition Feel

Here is an excerpt from an interview done by ''Role-Play News'' in 2000 with Clark Peterson and Bill Webb about their view on what is the "First Edition Feel":

Clark Peterson: First Edition is the cover of the old DMG (
Dungeon Masters Guide The ''Dungeon Master's Guide'' (''DMG'' or ''DM's Guide''; in some printings, the ''Dungeon Masters Guide'' or ''Dungeon Master Guide'') is a book of rules for the fantasy role-playing game ''Dungeons & Dragons''. The ''Dungeon Master's Guide'' c ...
) with the City of Brass; it is
Judges Guild Judges Guild is a game publisher that has been active since 1976. The company created and sold many role-playing game supplements, periodicals and related materials, but became best known during the late 1970s and early 1980s as one of the leadin ...
; it is Type IV demons not Tanaari and
Baatezu A devil (also known as a baatezu) is a fictional character in the ''Dungeons & Dragons'' roleplaying game, a powerful group of monsters used as a high-level challenge for players of the game. Devils are Lawful Evil in alignment and originate f ...
; it is the
Vault of the Drow Vault may refer to: * Jumping, the act of propelling oneself upwards Architecture * Vault (architecture), an arched form above an enclosed space * Bank vault, a reinforced room or compartment where valuables are stored * Burial vault (enclosure ...
not
Drizzt Do'urden Drizzt Do'Urden () is a fictional character appearing in the Forgotten Realms campaign setting for the ''Dungeons & Dragons'' fantasy role-playing game. Drizzt was created by author R. A. Salvatore as a supporting character in the ''Icewind Dale ...
; it is the
Tomb of Horrors ''Tomb of Horrors'' is an adventure module written by Gary Gygax for the ''Dungeons & Dragons'' (''D&D'') role-playing game. It was originally written for and used at the 1975 Origins 1 convention. Gygax designed the adventure both to chal ...
not the Ruins of Myth Drannor; it is
orcs An Orc (or Ork) is a fictional humanoid monster like a goblin. Orcs were brought into modern usage by the fantasy writings of J. R. R. Tolkien, especially ''The Lord of the Rings''. In Tolkien's works, Orcs are a brutish, aggressive, ugly, ...
not ogrillons; it is mind flayers not Ilithids (or however they spell it); it is
Tolkien John Ronald Reuel Tolkien (, ; 3 January 1892 – 2 September 1973) was an English writer and philologist. He was the author of the high fantasy works '' The Hobbit'' and ''The Lord of the Rings''. From 1925 to 1945, Tolkien was the Rawl ...
, Moorcock, Howard and Leiber, not Eddings,
Hickman Hickman or Hickmann may refer to: People * Hickman (surname), notable people with the surname Hickman or Hickmann * Hickman Ewing, American attorney * Hickman Price (1911–1989), assistant secretary in the United States Department of Commerce * ...
,
Jordan Jordan ( ar, الأردن; tr. ' ), officially the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan,; tr. ' is a country in Western Asia. It is situated at the crossroads of Asia, Africa, and Europe, within the Levant region, on the East Bank of the Jordan Rive ...
and Salvatore; it is definitely
Orcus Orcus ( la, Orcus) was a god of the underworld, punisher of broken oaths in Etruscan and Roman mythology. As with Hades, the name of the god was also used for the underworld itself. In the later tradition, he was conflated with Dis Pater. A ...
and the demon-princes and not the
Blood War In the ''Dungeons & Dragons'' fantasy role-playing game, "monsters" are generally the antagonists which players must fight and defeat to progress in the game. Since the game's first edition in 1974, a bestiary was included along other game ma ...
; it is
Mordenkainen Mordenkainen is a fictional wizard from the ''World of Greyhawk'' campaign setting for the ''Dungeons & Dragons'' roleplaying game. He was created by Gary Gygax as a player character, only months after the start of Gygax's Greyhawk campaign, and ...
's Faithful Hound not
Elminster Elminster Aumar is a fictional character appearing in the ''Forgotten Realms'' campaign setting for the ''Dungeons & Dragons'' fantasy role-playing game. He is also known as the Sage of Shadowdale, and is depicted as a powerful Wizard (Dungeons & ...
's Evasion; and it is Artifacts and Relics from the old DMG (with all the cool descriptions). I always say we want to be the VW Bug of roleplaying companies, meaning that we want to have a modern style and appeal but an obvious link to the past. One of the ways we do that is how we design the modules. For example, we use full color covers (not that funky mono-color of the old modules). But our modules have the same basic format of the old modules—inset art, module number in the upper left corner, diagonal band in the upper left corner, logo placement, etc. I guarantee you, when you look at one of our modules you will flash back to the old ones—just like when you see a new VW bug. And hopefully you will say "Man, that is just like an old module except cooler."

Products

Necromancer Games released 57 third-edition-compatible products, alone and in partnership with other companies: *Aberrations by Casey W. Christofferson * Ancient Kingdoms: Mesopotamia by Morten Braten * Bard's Gate by Casey W. Christofferson, Scott Greene and Shane Glodoski * Bonegarden, The by Lance Hawvermale and Rob Mason * Book of Taverns, The by Chris Jones *

Caverns of Thracia ''The Caverns of Thracia'' is an adventure for fantasy role-playing games published by Judges Guild in 1979. Written by Jennell Jaquays, it was compatible with ''Dungeons & Dragons''. A revised edition—compatible with ''Dungeons & Dragons'' 3.5 ...

by James Collura,Bob Bledsaw based on material by

Jennell Jaquays Jennell Jaquays (born Paul Jaquays, October 14, 1956) is an American game designer, video game artist, and illustrator of tabletop role-playing games (RPGs). Her notable works include the '' Dungeons & Dragons'' modules '' Dark Tower'' and '' Ca ...

*Chaos Rising by Jim Collura * City of Brass by Casey W. Christofferson, Scott Greene, and Clark Peterson *

City State of the Invincible Overlord ''City State of the Invincible Overlord'' is a fantasy role-playing game supplement originally published by Judges Guild in 1976. It was the first published fantasy role-playing game city setting, designed for use with ''Dungeons & Dragons'' (''D& ...

by Patrick Lawinger, Bob Bledsaw and Greg Geilman * Coils of Set, The by Ryan Henry *

Crucible of Freya A crucible is a ceramic or metal container in which metals or other substances may be melted or subjected to very high temperatures. While crucibles were historically usually made from clay, they can be made from any material that withstands te ...

by Clark Peterson and Bill Webb * Crystal Skull, The by Dave Brohmann *

Dead Man's Chest "Dead Man's Chest" (also known as "Fifteen Men on the Dead Man's Chest" or "Yo, Ho, Ho (And a Bottle of Rum)") is a fictional''Fictional sea-song'' - in this sense means a sea-song that first appeared in a work of fiction, and not an authentic se ...

by Lance Hawvermale, et al. * Demons and Devils by Bill Webb and Clark Peterson * Diamond Fortress, The by Phillip Larwood * Doom of Listonshire, The by

Ari Marmell Ari Marmell is an American novelist and freelance role-playing game writer. Novels His first novel, ''Gehenna: The Final Night'', was published in 2004 by White Wolf Publishing. ''Agents of Artifice,'' a media tie-in novel set in the Magic: The ...

* Eldritch Sorcery by Patrick Lawinger, Scott Greene, David Mannes * Elemental Moon by Lance Hawvermale and Andy Luke Crossness * Family Affair, A by Carla Harker * Fane of the Witch King by Steven Montano *

Feast of the Gobbler A banquet (; ) is a formal large meal where a number of people consume food together. Banquets are traditionally held to enhance the prestige of a host, or reinforce social bonds among joint contributors. Modern examples of these purposes i ...

by Casey W. Christofferson *

Glades of Death Glades may refer to: *Glade (geography) *Glades County, Florida * Glades (Florida), a region of Florida *Everglades In music * Glades (band), an Australian indie band formed in 2015. In sports * Green Mountain Glades The Green Mountain Glades ...

by Patrick Lawinger, Jeff Harkness, and Gary Schotter * Grey Citadel, The by Nathan Douglas Paul * Hall of the Rainbow Mage by Patrick Lawinger * Lamentation of Thieves, A by Lance Hawvermale * Lost City of Barakus, The by W.D.B. Kenower and Bill Webb * Maze of Zayene 1 : Prisoners of the Maze by Rob Kuntz * Maze of Zayene 2 : Dimensions of Flight by Rob Kuntz * Maze of Zayene 3 : Tower Chaos by Rob Kuntz * Morrick Mansion by Patrick Lawinger * Mother of All Encounter Tables, The by Greg Ragland, Bill Webb, Bob Bledsaw, and Greg Geilman * Mother of All Treasure Tables, The by TableTop Adventures * Necropolis by

Gary Gygax Ernest Gary Gygax ( ; July 27, 1938 – March 4, 2008) was an American game designer and author best known for co-creating the pioneering role-playing game ''Dungeons & Dragons'' (''D&D'') with Dave Arneson. In the 1960s, Gygax created an ...

* Player's Guide to the Wilderlands by Bob Bledsaw, Greg Geilman, Clark Peterson,

James Mishler James Mishler (born in April, 1969) is an American writer and editor, working mostly in the adventure game and comic book industries. Career James Mishler was previously the associate editor of '' Comics & Games Retailer'' and ''Scrye'', and lat ...

, Rob Conley, Steve Stottrup, Steve Edwards and Patrick Lawinger * Raise the Dead by Lance Hawvermale and Casey Christofferson * Rappan Athuk 1 : The Dungeon of Graves by Bill Webb and Clark Peterson * Rappan Athuk 2 : The Middle Levels by Bill Webb and Clark Peterson * Rappan Athuk 3 : The Dungeon of Graves by Bill Webb, W.D.B. Kenower and Clark Peterson * Rappan Athuk Reloaded by Bill Webb, Greg Ragland, W.D.B. Kenower and Clark Peterson *Shades of Gray by Michael R. Proteau * Siege of Durgam's Folly by

Mike Mearls Michael Mearls is a writer and designer of fantasy role-playing games (RPGs) and related fiction. He was the senior manager for the ''Dungeons & Dragons'' research and design team. He co-led design for the 5th edition of the game. He also worked ...

* Set's Daughters by Jay Barnson * Six Spheres of Zailhhessh, The by Luca Minutillo * Tomb of Abysthor, The by Clark Peterson and Bill Webb *

Tome of Horrors A tome or codex is a large book, especially one volume of a multi-volume scholarly work. Tome may also refer to: Places * Tome, Miyagi, city in Japan (formerly Tome District) *Tome, New Mexico, an unincorporated community and census-designated ...

by Scott Greene *

Tome of Horrors Revised A tome or codex is a large book, especially one volume of a multi-volume scholarly work. Tome may also refer to: Places * Tome, Miyagi, city in Japan (formerly Tome District) *Tome, New Mexico, an unincorporated community and census-designated ...

by Scott Greene *

Tome of Horrors II A tome or codex is a large book, especially one volume of a multi-volume scholarly work. Tome may also refer to: Places * Tome, Miyagi, city in Japan (formerly Tome District) * Tome, New Mexico, an unincorporated community and census-designated ...

by Scott Greene *

Tome of Horrors III A tome or codex is a large book, especially one volume of a multi-volume scholarly work. Tome may also refer to: Places * Tome, Miyagi, city in Japan (formerly Tome District) * Tome, New Mexico, an unincorporated community and census-designated ...

by Necromancer staff * Tower of Jhedophar, The by Casey W. Christofferson * Trouble at Durbenford by Robert J. Schwalb * Vault of Larin Karr by W.D.B. Kenower *

Vampires and Liches A vampire is a mythical creature that subsists by feeding on the Vitalism, vital essence (generally in the form of blood) of the living. In European folklore, vampires are undead, undead creatures that often visited loved ones and caused mi ...

by Casey W. Christofferson and Bill Webb * Vindication! by Bob Sarvas * What Evil Lurks by Lance Hawvermale *

Wilderlands of High Fantasy ''Wilderlands of High Fantasy'' is a supplement for fantasy role-playing games published by Judges Guild in 1977. It is part of the same world as their earlier ''City State of the Invincible Overlord'' setting materials. Contents ''Wilderlands ...

Bob Bledsaw Robert Eugene Bledsaw (May 18, 1942"United States Social Security Death Index," index, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/JTJ7-H62 : accessed 12 Feb 2013), Robert E Bledsaw, 19 April 2008; citing U.S. Social Security Administrati ...

, Greg Geilman, Rob Conley, Steve Stottrup, Steve Edwards, Gabor Lux, James Mishler, Casey W. Christofferson, Clark Peterson, and Patrick Lawinger Based on Content from Judges Guild. * Wizard's Amulet, The by Clark Peterson and Bill Webb * Wurst of Grimtooth's Traps, The

Role Playing Games Awards

Necromancer Games was recognized several times with

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-playin ...

ENnies The ENNIE Awards (previously stylized as ENnie Awards) are awards for role-playing game (RPG) products (including game-related accessories, publications, and art) and their creators. The awards were created in 2001 by Russ Morrissey of EN World ...

award. The most notable award was the Gold Award in the category Best Adventure for Lost City of Barakus in 2004.

won the Gold Award in the Category Best Adversary/ Monster Product at the 2006 Awards. * ENnie Awards - 2001 ** ''Best Free Product'' : The Wizard's Amulet (Gold) * ENnie Awards - 2003 ** ''Best Cartography'' : Necropolis by Gary Gygax (Silver) ** ''Best Graphic Design & Layout'' : The Vault of Larin Karr (Silver) ** ''Best Monster Supplement'' : Tome of Horrors (Gold) ** ''Best Official Website'' : Necromancer Games (Gold) * ENnie Awards - 2004 ** ''Best Adventure (d20)'' : Lost City of Barakus (Gold) * ENnie Awards - 2005 ** ''Best Cartography'' : City State of the Invincible Overlord (Silver) * ENnie Awards - 2006 ** ''Best Adversary/Monster Product'' : Tome of Horrors 3 (Gold) ** ''Special Judges' Award: Grognard Award'' : Necromancer Games

References

{{reflist Companies established in 2000 ENnies winners Role-playing game publishing companies