Tom Moldvay

American role-playing game designer

Thomas Steven Moldvay

Born| (1948-11-05)November 5, 1948[1]
Died| March 9, 2007(2007-03-09) (aged 58)
Nationality| American

Thomas Steven Moldvay (Nov. 5, 1948 – March 9, 2007[2]) was an American game designer and author, best known for his work on early materials for the fantasy role-playing game Dungeons & Dragons (D&D).

## Career[edit]

During the 1970s while a student at Kent State University in Ohio, Moldvay was a writer for the science fiction fanzine Infinite Dreams.

Moldvay was a Dungeons & Dragons player brought into TSR by the head of design and development, Lawrence Schick, during a time of substantial growth at TSR.[3]: 11 After the publication of the core handbooks for Advanced Dungeons & Dragons, Moldvay wrote a second edition of the Dungeons & Dragons Basic Set (1980).[3]: 11 As an employee of TSR, Moldvay authored or co-authored landmark D&D adventure modules such as Castle Amber, Isle of Dread, the rewrite of Palace of the Silver Princess,[4] and Secret of the Slavers Stockade, all published in 1981. Of these, X1 – Isle of Dread was one of the most widely played modules of the time because it was distributed inside the D&D Expert Set rules.

Other Moldvay adventure modules for D&D include The Lost City (1982) and Twilight Calling (1986). In the years between 1980 and 1988, he also penned several articles in Dragon magazine. The fictional city of Yavdlom in the D&D Mystara setting – which in the following years included many locations featured in old D&D material – is an homage to him (Yavdlom being the backward reading of Moldvay). Moldvay also co-developed TSR's Gangbusters role-playing game and wrote adventures for TSR's Star Frontiers game.

Moldvay developed Lords of Creation, a role-playing game published by Avalon Hill.[3]: 177 In 1985 he created the one-shot game "The Future King" based on Arthurian legend. In 1986 he created The Challenges Game System, essentially a streamlining of the AD&D players handbook down to 8 pages, and the single adventure published for the system, "Seren Ironhand."

Tom Moldvay died at the age of 58 on March 9, 2007.[2] After Moldvay's death in 2007, Steve Winter called Isle of Dread "Tom's work that had the widest impact", as its inclusion in the Expert Set "made it one of the most widely known and played adventures for years".[5]

## References[edit]

1. ^ "United States Social Security Death Index," index, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/VMDB-J4W : accessed 12 Feb 2013), Thomas Steven Moldvay, 9 March 2007; citing U.S. Social Security Administration, Death Master File, database (Alexandria, Virginia: National Technical Information Service, ongoing).
2. ^ a b "SSDI on Fold3.com". Social Security Death Index.
3. ^ a b c Shannon Appelcline (2011). Designers & Dragons. Mongoose Publishing. ISBN 978-1-907702-58-7.
4. ^ Sacco, Ciro Alessandro. "The Ultimate Interview with Gary Gygax". thekyngdoms.com. Retrieved October 24, 2008.
5. ^ Winter, Steve (2007). "Designer Tom Moldvay". Wizards of the Coast. Archived from the original on May 10, 2013. Retrieved October 4, 2007.

## Resources[edit]

* "Tom Moldvay :: Pen & Paper RPG Database". Archived from the original on March 10, 2005.
* Dragonsfoot Tom Moldvay Bibliography

Authority control databases

International|

* ISNI
* VIAF

National|

* Spain
* Germany
* Israel
* United States

People|

* Trove

* v
* t
* e

Dungeons & Dragons

Basics

| General|

* Adventurers League
* Controversies
* Editions
* Gen Con
* Popular culture
* Film series
* Related products
* Retro-clones
* Sources and influences

|

Gameplay|

* Adventures
* Alignment
* Attribute
* Dungeon Master
* Game mechanics
* Magic
* Magic item
* Miniatures
* Psionics

Creators|

* Gary Gygax
* Dave Arneson
* Keith Baker
* Richard Baker
* David Cook
* Monte Cook
* Ed Greenwood
* Jeff Grubb
* Rob Heinsoo
* Tracy Hickman
* Robert J. Kuntz
* Mike Mearls
* Frank Mentzer
* Chris Perkins
* Jon Pickens
* Jonathan Tweet
* Jim Ward
* Margaret Weis
* Skip Williams
* Steve Winter

Companies|

* TSR
* Wizards of the Coast
* Grenadier Models
* Judges Guild
* Paizo
* Ral Partha
* Strategic Simulations
* WizKids

Licenses|

* Open Game License
* Game System License
* System Reference Document

Geography and cosmology

| Campaign settings|

* Birthright
* Council of Wyrms
* Dark Sun
* Dragonlance
* Dragon Fist​
* Eberron
* Exandria
* Forgotten Realms
* Faerûn
* Al-Qadim
* Kara-Tur
* Ghostwalk
* Greyhawk
* Jakandor
* Kingdoms of Kalamar
* Magic: The Gathering planes
* Ravnica
* Strixhaven
* Theros
* Mahasarpa
* Mystara
* Blackmoor
* Savage Coast
* Hollow World
* Nentir Vale​
* Pelinore
* Planescape
* Ravenloft
* Masque of the Red Death
* Rokugan
* Spelljammer

|

Planes of existence|

* Material Plane
* Aebrynis
* Abeir-Toril
* Athas
* Krynn
* Eberron
* Mystara
* Oerth
* Underdark
* Inner Planes
* Outer Planes
* Sigil

Characters and beings

| Races|

* Dragonborn
* Dwarf
* Elf
* Drow
* Gnome
* Half-elf
* Half-orcs
* Halfling
* Human
* Kender
* Tiefling
* Triton
* Warforged

|

Classes|

* Artificer
* Barbarian
* Bard
* Cleric
* Druid
* Fighter
* Monk
* Paladin
* Ranger
* Rogue
* Sorcerer
* Warlock
* Wizard
* List of alternative classes

Character lists|

* Dragonlance
* Greyhawk
* Ravenloft

Notable characters|

* Alias
* Catti-brie
* Drizzt Do'Urden
* Elminster
* Volothamp Geddarm
* Gord the Rogue
* Iggwilv
* Lord Soth
* Raistlin Majere
* Minsc
* Mordenkainen
* Tenser
* Strahd von Zarovich
* Wulfgar

Creatures and monsters|

* Beholders
* Devils
* Dragons
* Gelatinous cube
* Giants
* Goblins
* Illithid (mind flayer)
* Lich
* Mimic
* Owlbear
* Orcs
* Reptilian humanoids
* Kobolds
* Slaadi
* Trolls
* Vampires
* List of 2nd edition monsters

Deities and powers|

* Bahamut
* Corellon Larethian
* Eilistraee
* Greyhawk deities
* Tharizdun
* Vecna
* Moradin
* Mystra
* Tiamat

Publications

| Core rulebooks|

* Player's Handbook
* Dungeon Master's Guide
* Monster Manual

|

Classic boxed sets|

* Dungeons & Dragons (original)
* Basic
* Expert
* Companion
* Master
* Immortals
* Rules Cyclopedia

Supplements|

* Arms and Equipment Guide
* Battlesystem
* Book of Exalted Deeds
* Book of Vile Darkness
* Deities & Demigods
* Draconomicon
* Fiend Folio
* Forgotten Realms Campaign Setting
* Libris Mortis
* Manual of the Planes
* Player's Option: Combat & Tactics
* Player's Option: Skills & Powers
* Player's Option: Spells & Magic
* Unearthed Arcana

| High-level rules|

* Wrath of the Immortals
* Dungeon Master Option: High-Level Campaigns
* Epic Level Handbook

|

Psionics Handbook|

* AD&D 2nd edition
* D&D 3rd edition
* D&D v3.5 Expanded and Complete

|

Notable
modules|

* List of Eberron modules and sourcebooks
* Against the Giants
* Dead Gods
* Desert of Desolation
* Dragonlance
* Expedition to the Barrier Peaks
* Expedition to the Demonweb Pits
* The Gates of Firestorm Peak
* The Isle of Dread
* The Keep on the Borderlands
* The Lost Caverns of Tsojcanth
* Queen of the Spiders
* Ravenloft
* Red Hand of Doom
* The Ruins of Undermountain
* The Temple of Elemental Evil
* Tomb of Horrors
* White Plume Mountain

Online tools|

* D&D Insider
* D&D Beyond

*[v]: View this template
*[t]: Discuss this template
*[e]: Edit this template