When was Judges Guild founded?
Judges Guild was founded on the 4th of July, 1976. Co-founder Bob Bledsaw based the company on concepts he developed in his home Dungeons and Dragons campaign.
Questions about Judges Guild
Short answers, pulled from the story.
What was the City State of the Invincible Overlord?
City State of the Invincible Overlord was Judges Guild's flagship product and the first published RPG supplement to feature a fully developed city environment. It was followed by numerous ancillary cities, maps, and related materials.
Why did Judges Guild decline in the early 1980s?
Judges Guild declined because its production values stagnated while the industry moved to professional typesetting, full-color art, and hardcover formats. Its license to publish Advanced Dungeons and Dragons materials also lapsed in 1982, and the company went on hiatus by 1985.
Who founded Judges Guild and what happened to them?
Judges Guild was founded by Bob Bledsaw and Bill Owen. Owen left the partnership before the company was incorporated in 1978. Bledsaw continued leading the company until his death from cancer in 2008, after which his son Bob Bledsaw II inherited it.
What was the Judge's Shield and why was it significant?
The Judge's Shield was a foldout three-page heavy stock compilation of monsters and rules that had been scattered across numerous TSR rulebooks, designed for quick reference during play. The term became the industry-standard name for all similar products that followed.
Did Judges Guild ever return after going on hiatus?
Judges Guild returned in 1999, releasing revised copies of City State of the Invincible Overlord and reintroducing Pegasus magazine for two issues. The company also published Lost Man's Trail in 2011, its first original product in more than 25 years.