AAW fantasist publishes first tabletop roleplaying game

Good Company’s newest quest takes Sir Larpsalot, Elvish Presley, and their allies from the printed page to the family room.

Fans of The Lost Tale of Sir Larpsalot novel can now step into the boots of their favorite Mezzo-Earth heroes with a new tabletop roleplaying game (TTRPG) from fantasy author David Michael Williams.

The Curse of Er’Mah’Gerd is a Fifth Edition Dungeons & Dragons-compatible adventure designed for first-time TTRPG players as well as longtime gamers who crave a streamlined, self-contained experience with more humor than horror. The game presents challenges in the form of combat, diplomacy, and puzzle solving.

“While The Curse of Er’Mah’Gerd builds on the characters and setting first introduced in The Lost Tale of Sir Larpsalot, the novel itself is not required reading,” Williams said. “When I thought about creating a game for teens and other newcomers to TTRPGs, I realized I already had all the ingredients for an irreverent fantasy game right in front of me.”

“Part homage and part parody, Mezzo-Earth is a setting rife with re-engineered cliches, meta commentary, and plenty of eye-rolling puns,” he added.

In addition to the main three-act adventure, The Curse of Er’Mah’Gerd includes six pre-generated player characters, more than a dozen maps and optional encounters, 16 original creatures, 22 unique items, and 30 new spells. Unlike many other TTRPGs, The Curse of Er’Mah’Gerd encourages multiple playthroughs, allowing players to try different characters, choose new allies, battle unique foes, and experience unexplored encounters.

The game can be played with a gamemaster and one to six players.

The Curse of Er’Mah’Gerd is Williams’ first published game, following a few homebrewed one-shot adventures for friends and family. Additionally, he has contributed his writing and editing talents to Fifth Edition products published by Goodman Games.

“Whether you’re running a TTRPG for the first time, running a game for new players, searching for a streamlined adventure that favors storytelling over and complex rules, or simply craving a fresh—and sometimes funny—take on fantasy tropes, you’ve come to the right place,” Williams said.

One Million Words, Williams’ indie publishing company, released The Curse of Er’Mah’Gerd on March 15, 2023. The hardcover and digital editions are available at DriveThruRPG.com.

Williams is the author of eight novels, including The Renegade Chronicles, a sword-and-sorcery fantasy series, and The Soul Sleep Cycle, a dreampunk trilogy. Ghost Mode & Other Strange Stories, a collection of his short fiction, was released in 2021. His fiction also has appeared in various anthologies. He joined the Allied Authors of Wisconsin in 2005.

Learn more about the game, the author and his books at david-michael-williams.com.