Necromancer Games was an American publisher of

role-playing games A role-playing game (sometimes spelled roleplaying game, or abbreviated as 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, eith ...

. With offices in

Seattle, Washington Seattle ( ) is the List of municipalities in Washington, most populous city in the U.S. state of Washington (state), Washington and in the Pacific Northwest region of North America. With a population of 780,995 in 2024, it is the List of Unit ...

and

Coeur d'Alene, Idaho Coeur d'Alene ( ; ) is a city and the county seat of Kootenai County, Idaho, United States. It is the most populous city in North Idaho and the principal city of the Coeur d'Alene Metropolitan Statistical Area. The population was 54,628 at th ...

, the company specialized in material for the

d20 System The d20 System is a role-playing game system published in 2000 by Wizards of the Coast, originally developed for the Editions of Dungeons & Dragons#Dungeons & Dragons 3rd edition, 3rd edition of ''Dungeons & Dragons''. The system is named after ...

. 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, no ...

Wizards of the Coast Wizards of the Coast LLC (WotC or Wizards) is an American game Publishing, publisher, most of which are based on fantasy and List of science fiction themes, science-fiction themes, and formerly an operator of retail game stores. In 1999, toy ...

. 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 (TTRPG) originally created and designed by Gary Gygax and Dave Arneson. The game was first published in 1974 by TSR (company)#Tactical ...

'' rules system, they strove to mimic the flavor and style found in the game's

first edition The bibliographical definition of an edition is all copies of a book printed from substantially the same setting of type, including all minor typographical variants. First edition According to the definition of ''edition'' above, a book pr ...

(1977–1989). The company was on hiatus by 2010, the two founders having started two separate new game companies, Frog God Games and Legendary Games. In June 2012, Necromancer Games was acquired by Frog God Games. The Necromancer Games logo features a depiction of

Orcus 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. Eventually, he was conflated with Dis Pater and Pluto. A temple to Orcus ma ...

History

Necromancer Games was founded in 2000 by Clark Peterson 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. During the late 1970s and early 1980s the company was one of the leading publish ...

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 '' HackMaste ...

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 d ...

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. The ...

, and

White Wolf Publishing White Wolf Entertainment AB, formerly White Wolf Publishing, was an American roleplaying game and book publisher. The company was founded in 1991 as a merger between Lion Rampant (game publisher), Lion RampantOGL/ 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 games ''Pathfinder'' and '' Starfinder''. The company's name is derived from th ...

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

White Wolf Publishing White Wolf Entertainment AB, formerly White Wolf Publishing, was an American roleplaying game and book publisher. The company was founded in 1991 as a merger between Lion Rampant (game publisher), 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).If You Love Something, Set it F e Something, Set it Free? Open Content Cop ee? Open Content Copyright Licensing and Creative Cultural Expression
yorku.ca A 2010 statement by Peterson announced the company as "dormant for some time" and unlikely to revive. Bill Webb went on to co-found Frog God Games, focusing on adventures designed for both the ''Pathfinder Roleplaying Game'' and Swords & Wizardry lines. Clark Peterson has since co-created Legendary Games 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 Kickstarter, PBC is an American Benefit corporation, public benefit corporation based in Brooklyn, New York City, that maintains a global crowdfunding platform focused on creativity. The company's stated mission is to "help bring creative project ...

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.

"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'' co ...
) 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. During the late 1970s and early 1980s the company was one of the leading publish ...
; it is Type IV demons not Tanaari and Baatezu; 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 D ...
; 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 (sometimes spelt ork; ), in J. R. R. Tolkien's Middle-earth fantasy fiction, is a race of humanoid monsters, which he also calls "goblin". In Tolkien's ''The Lord of the Rings'', orcs appear as a brutish, aggressive, ugly, and malevol ...
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 Rawlinson ...
, Moorcock,
Howard Howard is a masculine given name derived from the English surname Howard. ''The Oxford Dictionary of English Christian Names'' notes that "the use of this surname as a christian name is quite recent and there seems to be no particular reason for ...
and
Leiber Leiber is a German surname. Notable people with the surname include: * Fridolin Leiber (1853–1912), German painter *Fritz Leiber (1910–1992), American writer of fantasy, horror and science fiction. * Fritz Leiber, Sr. (1882–1949), American ac ...
, not Eddings, Hickman,
Jordan Jordan, officially the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan, is a country in the Southern Levant region of West Asia. Jordan is bordered by Syria to the north, Iraq to the east, Saudi Arabia to the south, and Israel and the occupied Palestinian ter ...
and Salvatore; it is definitely
Orcus 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. Eventually, he was conflated with Dis Pater and Pluto. A temple to Orcus ma ...
and the demon-princes and not the
Blood War In the ''Dungeons & Dragons'' fantasy role-playing game, the term monster refers to a variety of creatures, some adapted from folklore and legends and others invented specifically for the game. Included are traditional monsters such as dragon ...
; 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 featured i ...
'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 by James Collura,Bob Bledsaw based on material by

Jennell Jaquays Jennell Allyn Jaquays (born Paul Jaquays; October 14, 1956 – January 10, 2024) was an American game designer, Game art design, video game artist, and illustrator of tabletop role-playing games (RPGs). Her notable works include the ''Dungeons & ...

*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 * The Crucible of Freya 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 sea ...

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 by Casey W. Christofferson * Glades of Death 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 A necropolis (: necropolises, necropoles, necropoleis, necropoli) is a large, designed cemetery with elaborate tomb monuments. The name stems from the Ancient Greek ''nekropolis'' (). The term usually implies a separate burial site at a distan ...

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 tabletop role-playing game ''Dungeons & Dragons'' (''D&D'') with Dave Arneson. In the 1960s, Gygax creat ...

* Player's Guide to the Wilderlands by Bob Bledsaw, Greg Geilman, Clark Peterson, James Mishler, Rob Conley, Steve Stottrup, Steve Edwards and Patrick Lawinger *

Raise the Dead ''Raise the Dead'' is the fourth studio album by rock band Phantom Planet. It was released on April 15, 2008. The CD includes reworked versions of "Leader" and "Geronimo", both of which appeared on the ''Limited Edition Tour EP'', as well as a ...

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 an American writer and designer of fantasy role-playing games (RPGs) and related fiction. Mearls worked for Wizards of the Coast from 2005 to 2023, holding various positions. He was the senior manager for the ''Dungeons & Drag ...

* 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 by Scott Greene * Tome of Horrors Revised by Scott Greene * Tome of Horrors II by Scott Greene * Tome of Horrors III 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 by Casey W. Christofferson and Bill Webb * Vindication! by Bob Sarvas *''

What Evil Lurks ''What Evil Lurks'' is an EP by English band the Prodigy. The 12" vinyl record was released in a limited number in February 1991, selling around 7,000 copies. The title track sampled the introduction to the 1930s American radio show about adv ...

'' by Lance Hawvermale * Wilderlands of High Fantasy by Bob Bledsaw, 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-playing ...

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 Worl ...

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

(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