Growing up, I didn’t know anyone who played Dungeons & Dragons or Shadowrun or any of the more complex TTRPGs out there. The closest I got to the “pen and paper” experience was playing Hero Quest with a couple of different friends, one in lower school and one in high school. That game was fantastic, and is still one of my favorite board games to date. A high school teacher gifted me with her original set of D&D manuals and I had a lot of fun studying them, mostly for writing ideas. Even with those books, I never did encounter anyone in the wild interested in playing. By that point, online RPGs had exploded and pretty much anyone I knew who might’ve been interested were sucked into World of Warcraft and other games that had come out around that time.

Two of my favorite universes were spawned from D&D sessions: the world of the Record of Lodoss War anime, and the world of Midkemia by Raymond E. Feist. I sometimes wonder what would have happened on my writer’s journey if I’d actually gotten into the game, but that path was not for me. As it is, I still just enjoy the video games, lore and “fluff” of D&D, Shadowrun, Warhammer and its far-flung space fantasy equivalent, 40K. Maybe at some point I’ll get into the real thing!

But, enough about me in my surface-level knowledge of the subject. Let’s hear from some of the experts!

Blasters and Blades Go Old-School!

For those who currently play, used to play, or only thought about playing D&D, this podcast is for you! Co-hosts JR Handley and Nick Garber have a sit-down with some of the founders of TSR and creators of D&D: Dave Wise, Lester Smith, Stephen D. Sullivan, and James Ward(*). You’ll learn about far more games than just D&D that TSR helped develop during this podcast. It’s two hours you don’t want to miss!

Tribute to James Ward, one of the fathers of D&D and TSR

It is with a lot of sadness that we write that James Ward passed away not too many days after the release of Blasters & Blades 361. While I never got to know him personally, I know many who read this have been affected by him in some way, even if we didn’t know it at the time. Sadly, I didn’t know until he passed away that one of his D&D scenarios was the basis for the video game Pool of Radiance I played. For me, it was through the game Pool of Radiance. I wasn’t very good at the game at the time it came out, but I remember liking it quite a bit. He also co-wrote the D&D expansion book Deities & Demigods, which I’ve referenced when developing fantasy creatures for my own universes. He was a giant among men in the realm of tabletop RPGs, and I know he will be missed by more than just those who were closest to him.

Blasters and Blades posted a tribute message on Twitter:

I'll miss you, my friend. The world lost a legend when you died today. I am glad I got to host your last interview. It was an honor and a privilege.

RIP James M Ward, A Giant Among Creatives

Episode 361: A Blast from the Past with the men of TSR! https://t.co/Eu70hzsxRW

— The Blasters and Blades Podcast (@SF_Fantasy_Show) March 19, 2024

Fandom Pulse has a great tribute article up for him, as well. Godspeed, James. I never got to meet you in this life, but I hope to see you in Heaven when I get there.

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Another Great One Lost: Akira Toriyama, Manga Artist and Video Game Illustrator

Sadly, James Ward isn’t the only great one to be lost in recent weeks. Manga artist, character designer, and international celebrity Akira Toriyama has also passed away, quite suddenly and unexpectedly. You may never have heard his name or read his stuff, but I’m sure you’ve at least heard the name Dragon Ball and Dragon Ball Z. Those were his most successful titles, spawning many anime and video game titles as well as helping to firmly establish what is called the “shonen” genre of anime and manga. He also did the character designs for the long-running Dragon Quest RPG series, as well as the designs for the game Chrono Trigger for the Super Nintendo.

Chrono Trigger was where I first encountered him, back in my early days playing RPGs on the SNES. That game is largely responsible for setting me on the fantasy writing path, and since he did the illustrations for everything from the heroes to the random bad guys you fight, I see that as his world even if he didn’t write the storyline for it. For what it’s worth, Mr. Toriyama, thank you for that. I may not have had tabletop RPGs, but I had your game, Final Fantasy, Secret of Mana, and other RPGs to fuel my childhood muse. You’re another I hope to meet on the other side someday!

If you’d like to read more about Mr. Toriyama, I encourage you go to the Dragon Ball Fandom page. He was quite prolific, as you will see!

New Releases

Next up for release this Friday, March 29, 2024, we have the J. R. Handley Presents: Assault Team Volume 1 Military Science Fiction anthology. The ebook pre-order is live and the print book copies will be available for purchase on Friday.

Request permission to come aboard?

Not this time!

We’ve got 12 of the best swashbuckling boarding action tales this side of the Milky Way!

This anthology is a collection of military science fiction stories about the everyday hero rising to the occasion during combat operations. Some of these stories highlight the assault team and sometimes the defenders. But regardless of which side of the boarding party they are on, uncommon courage is a common virtue of the day.

With special introductions by authors John Hemry and William Joseph Roberts!

So, grab your assault gear and get ready to bounce!

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