8.6 /10 1 Votes
4/5 RPGnet Cover artist Howard Tayler Publisher Tayler Publishing (US) Media type Print (hardcover) Originally published 15 August 2009 Genre Role-playing game Illustrator Howard Tayler | 3.8/5 Goodreads Language English Publication date August 15, 2009 Pages 160 Page count 160 Country United States of America | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Similar Howard Tayler books, Role-playing game books | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
XDM: X-treme Dungeon Mastery is a role-playing game book by American writers Tracy Hickman and Curtis Hickman and illustrated by Howard Tayler.
Contents
Purporting to be the work of a 'secret society' of extreme game players, the book both casts a satirical eye on role-playing games and offers practical application advice on improving the design and play of role-playing games. It includes its own complete role-playing game system as well.
Background and Development
In the spring of 2009, Tracy Hickman met Howard Tayler at the Life, the Universe, & Everything symposium at Brigham Young University. Tracy and his son Curtis had been working on a book about radical game techniques for over three years but had been unable to secure a game publisher for their work. After discussions with Howard Tayler and his wife and publishing partner Sandra Tayler, it was determined that the book could be produced through Tayler's own publishing imprint. Due to the requirements of having the book ready for release by the following August, both the writers and Howard, as the artist for the project, launched into producing both the art and a viable text within the space of two months. The deadlines were made and the book was produced and delivered on time for its release at Gen Con held in August of that same year.
Contents
The book is written as though from the perspective of a secret society of game masters passing on ancient secrets of role-playing games beginning in Babylonian times and extending to the present. Within the satire, the text offers advice on performance techniques, adventure game design and classical story structures.