Skirmisher Publishing LLC
Encyclopedia
Skirmisher Publishing LLC is a Spring Branch, Texas
-based publisher of wargames, roleplaying games, and historic reprints. It was founded by author, editor, and game designer Michael J. Varhola
and is co-owned by Robert "Mac" McLaughlin, Oliver Cass, and Geoffrey Weber.
About half of Skirmisher's products have been published under the d20 System
, a system of game mechanics for role-playing game
s published in 2000 by Wizards of the Coast
that is based on the third edition of Dungeons & Dragons
and named after the 20-sided
die
which is central to the core mechanics of the system.
Skirmisher products created for the d20 system include the books Experts (2002), Warriors (2003), Tests of Skill (2004), Nuisances (2005), and Experts v.3.5 (2005). Artists whose work appears in these books include Brendan Cass, Dragan Ciric, Sharon L. Daugherty, William Hazzard II, Phil "Shade" Kightlinger, and Lissanne Lake -- noted for her numerous Dragon Magazine
covers -- and Geoffrey Weber.
Other notable Skirmisher publications include a reprint of the H.G. Wells 1913 wargaming classic Little Wars
(2004) — which the company republished in a self-standing form for the first time in 27 years — a reprint of Wells' 1911 work Floor Games
(2006), which includes a foreword by game designer James F. Dunnigan, and the 3rd edition of the Cthulhu Live
live-action roleplaying game.
The company also has a line of Orc
miniatures that it has dubbed the "Orcs of the Triple Death" and which it supports with a series of products that include d20 game statistics and descriptive text.
" Skirmisher Publishing since mid-2001. According to information posted on the company Website, however, its origins are much older, and date immediately to a miniature wargaming
development group founded by Varhola and Weber in the mid-1990s and ultimately to the Munich
, Germany
-based gaming circle in the early 1980s that included Varhola, McLaughlin, and friends Paul Knorr and George Sieretski (the latter of whom helped develop the "skirmish wargaming" rules from which the company derived its name).
When Skirmisher published its first d20 book, Experts, in 2002, publisher Varhola decided to dedicate it to Dungeons & Dragons creator Gary Gygax
and to ask him to write a foreword to the book, believing that such an implicit endorsement would be an auspicious sign for his fledgling venture.
"No reader should be surprised at finding this prefatory piece herein," wrote Gygax in the first paragraph of this foreword. "As the principle one to whom this book is dedicated, there was no conceivable way I could refuse writing a short introduction for it without seeming to be a total ingrate. I mention this merely to point out the clever tactics of the authors, for the same ingenuity is certainly applied to the contents of the work proper." Skirmisher retained the same dedication and foreword in the revised, expanded, and redesigned Experts v.3.5, which it released in 2005.
In 2004, Skirmisher distinguished itself by becoming the first gaming company to publish in its books maps created using digital images of three-dimensional models. Publications featuring this technique include Tests of Skill and Experts v.3.5 (examples of which are available as free downloads on the company Website).
Texas
Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...
-based publisher of wargames, roleplaying games, and historic reprints. It was founded by author, editor, and game designer Michael J. Varhola
Michael J. Varhola
Michael J. Varhola is an author, publisher, and lecturer. He has written numerous books, games, and articles, and founded game development company and manufacturer Skirmisher Publishing LLC...
and is co-owned by Robert "Mac" McLaughlin, Oliver Cass, and Geoffrey Weber.
About half of Skirmisher's products have been published under the d20 System
D20 System
The d20 System is a role-playing game system published in 2000 by Wizards of the Coast originally developed for the third edition of Dungeons & Dragons...
, a system of game mechanics for role-playing game
Role-playing game
A role-playing game 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, either through literal acting, or through a process of structured decision-making or character development...
s published in 2000 by Wizards of the Coast
Wizards of the Coast
Wizards of the Coast is an American publisher of games, primarily based on fantasy and science fiction themes, and formerly an operator of retail stores for games...
that is based on the third edition of Dungeons & Dragons
Dungeons & Dragons
Dungeons & Dragons is a fantasy role-playing game originally designed by Gary Gygax and Dave Arneson, and first published in 1974 by Tactical Studies Rules, Inc. . The game has been published by Wizards of the Coast since 1997...
and named after the 20-sided
Icosahedron
In geometry, an icosahedron is a regular polyhedron with 20 identical equilateral triangular faces, 30 edges and 12 vertices. It is one of the five Platonic solids....
die
Dice
A die is a small throwable object with multiple resting positions, used for generating random numbers...
which is central to the core mechanics of the system.
Skirmisher products created for the d20 system include the books Experts (2002), Warriors (2003), Tests of Skill (2004), Nuisances (2005), and Experts v.3.5 (2005). Artists whose work appears in these books include Brendan Cass, Dragan Ciric, Sharon L. Daugherty, William Hazzard II, Phil "Shade" Kightlinger, and Lissanne Lake -- noted for her numerous Dragon Magazine
Dragon (magazine)
Dragon is one of the two official magazines for source material for the Dungeons & Dragons role-playing game and associated products, the other being Dungeon. TSR, Inc. originally launched the monthly printed magazine in 1976 to succeed the company's earlier publication, The Strategic Review. The...
covers -- and Geoffrey Weber.
Other notable Skirmisher publications include a reprint of the H.G. Wells 1913 wargaming classic Little Wars
Little Wars
Little Wars is a set of rules for playing with toy soldiers, written by H. G. Wells in 1913. Its full title is Little Wars: a game for boys from twelve years of age to one hundred and fifty and for that more intelligent sort of girl who likes boys' games and books.Little Wars is considered by some...
(2004) — which the company republished in a self-standing form for the first time in 27 years — a reprint of Wells' 1911 work Floor Games
Floor Games
Floor Games is a book written in 1911 by H. G. Wells. It is a light-hearted, sometimes humorous discussion about the theory, purpose, and methodology of playing a variety of children's games with models, miniatures, and other props....
(2006), which includes a foreword by game designer James F. Dunnigan, and the 3rd edition of the Cthulhu Live
Cthulhu Live
Cthulhu Live is a live-action roleplaying game version of the popular horror roleplaying game Call of Cthulhu. Based on the bleak works of horror author H. P...
live-action roleplaying game.
The company also has a line of Orc
Orc
An orc is one of a race of mythical human-like creatures, generally described as fierce and combative, with grotesque features and often black, grey or greenish skin. This mythology has its origins in the writings of J. R. R. Tolkien....
miniatures that it has dubbed the "Orcs of the Triple Death" and which it supports with a series of products that include d20 game statistics and descriptive text.
History
Skirmisher Publishing LLC was not incorporated until early 2005, but prior to that had simply been "doing business asDoing business as
The phrase "doing business as" is a legal term used in the United States, meaning that the trade name, or fictitious business name, under which the business or operation is conducted and presented to the world is not the legal name of the legal person who actually own it and are responsible for it...
" Skirmisher Publishing since mid-2001. According to information posted on the company Website, however, its origins are much older, and date immediately to a miniature wargaming
Miniature wargaming
Miniature wargaming is a form of wargaming that incorporates miniature figures, miniature armor and modeled terrain as the main components of play...
development group founded by Varhola and Weber in the mid-1990s and ultimately to the Munich
Munich
Munich The city's motto is "" . Before 2006, it was "Weltstadt mit Herz" . Its native name, , is derived from the Old High German Munichen, meaning "by the monks' place". The city's name derives from the monks of the Benedictine order who founded the city; hence the monk depicted on the city's coat...
, Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
-based gaming circle in the early 1980s that included Varhola, McLaughlin, and friends Paul Knorr and George Sieretski (the latter of whom helped develop the "skirmish wargaming" rules from which the company derived its name).
When Skirmisher published its first d20 book, Experts, in 2002, publisher Varhola decided to dedicate it to Dungeons & Dragons creator Gary Gygax
Gary Gygax
Ernest Gary Gygax was an American writer and game designer best known for co-creating the pioneering role-playing game Dungeons & Dragons with Dave Arneson. Gygax is generally acknowledged as the father of role-playing games....
and to ask him to write a foreword to the book, believing that such an implicit endorsement would be an auspicious sign for his fledgling venture.
"No reader should be surprised at finding this prefatory piece herein," wrote Gygax in the first paragraph of this foreword. "As the principle one to whom this book is dedicated, there was no conceivable way I could refuse writing a short introduction for it without seeming to be a total ingrate. I mention this merely to point out the clever tactics of the authors, for the same ingenuity is certainly applied to the contents of the work proper." Skirmisher retained the same dedication and foreword in the revised, expanded, and redesigned Experts v.3.5, which it released in 2005.
In 2004, Skirmisher distinguished itself by becoming the first gaming company to publish in its books maps created using digital images of three-dimensional models. Publications featuring this technique include Tests of Skill and Experts v.3.5 (examples of which are available as free downloads on the company Website).