Tenkar's Tavern: James Mathe (Founder of RPGNow ) has Passed

Tuesday, June 11, 2019

James Mathe (Founder of RPGNow ) has Passed

James Mathe's passing was brought to my attention earlier today, but with our own, in house mourning (my parents' cat passed at 315 this afternoon at 18 years old) I haven't been able to settle in until now.

James is probably best known as the creator / original owner of RPGNow. I remember when RPGNow and DriveThruRPG were competitors. I always leaned towards RPGNow back in those days and did so even after the merger.

James' self-written bio is linked below:

SUMMARY: I have pioneered 2 new industries, own 5 companies and 3 game stores, completed several dozen successful Kickstarter campaigns, and host regular game designer events/conventions.

http://www.jamesmathe.com/bio/

1 comment:

herucaJune 12, 2019 at 5:34 PM
Yikes! He was only a year older than me.
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Why "Swords & Wizardry?"

Believe me when I say I have them all in dead tree format. I have OSRIC in full size, trade paperback and the Player's Guide. I have LL and the AEC (and somewhere OEC, but I can't find it at the moment). Obviously I have Basic Fantasy RPG. Actually, I have the whole available line in print. Way too much Castles & Crusades. We all know my love for the DCC RPG. I even have Dark Dungeons in print, the Delving Deeper boxed set, Astonishing Swordsmen & Sorcerers of Hyperborea. BOTH editions of LotFP's Weird Fantasy and some dead tree copies of the Greyhawk Grognards Adventures Dark & Deep

I am so deep in the OSR when I come up for breath it's for the OSR's cousin, Tunnels & Trolls

So, out of all that, why Swords & Wizardry? Why, when I have been running a AD&D 1e / OSRIC campaign in Rappan Athuk am I using Swords & Wizardry and it's variant, Crypts & Things, for the second campaign? (Actually, now running a S&W Complete campaign, soon to be with multiple groups)

Because the shit works.

It's easy for lapsed gamers to pick up and feel like they haven't lost a step. I can house rule it and it doesn't break. It plays so close to the AD&D of my youth and college years (S&W Complete especially) that it continually surprises me. Just much less rules hopping than I remember. (my God but I can run it nearly without the book)

I grab and pick and steal from just about all OSR and Original resources. They seem to fit into S&W with little fuss. It may be the same with LL and the rest, but for me the ease of use fit's my expectations with S&W.

Even the single saving throw. That took me longer to adjust to, but even that seems like a natural to me now. Don't ask me why, it just does. Maybe it's the simplicity of it. At 45 52, simplicity and flexibility while remaining true to the feel of the original is an OSR hat trick for me ;)

Swords & Wizardry Light - Forum

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Tuesday, June 11, 2019

James Mathe (Founder of RPGNow ) has Passed

1 comment:

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