Brian R. James

Brian R. James (born 1974) is a game designer and software engineer. As a writer, Brian is best known for his online and print works for the Dungeons & Dragons fantasy role-playing game published by Wizards of the Coast. In game design circles, Brian is highly regarded for his deep knowledge of the Forgotten Realms campaign setting and its extensive history. In 2012 Brian won a Silver ENnie Award for Monster Vault: Threats to the Nentir Vale and he has been nominated for other ENnie Awards and Origins Awards.

Personal life Brian grew up in Arapahoe County, Colorado and attended Arapahoe High School where he led the computer club and lettered in cross country his senior year.

Writing career James got his first big break with the creation of his "Grand History of the Realms" timeline compilation that started in the late 90s. Utilizing his website at the time, he compiled lore from many disparate sources into easily referenced PDFs documents that allowed fans to reference each of his entries. This work eventually caught the eye of senior Wizards of the Coast developers, was purchased by the company and then published as a print sourcebook: The Grand History of the Realms. Since then, James has gone on to co-author (and contribute) to many 4th Edition D&D products, including the award-winning sourcebook Monster Vault: Threats to the Nentir Vale (2011).

He later led the design of Menzoberranzan: City of Intrigue (2012), covering the sinister underdark metropolis famous for birthing the drow Drizzt Do'Urden. James continues to contribute to Dragon and Dungeon magazines; focusing primarily on content for the Forgotten Realms and Planescape fantasy settings.

In 2013 James teamed up with his younger brother Matt James to form Vorpal Games. Their first independent venture is the RED AEGIS Roleplaying Game. A number of artists and designers have been linked to the project, including industry legend Ed Greenwood.

In 2017 James transitioned from tabletop game design into electronic game design, compiling lore for the EverQuest franchise, and the PlanetSide franchise.

Honors 2013: Menzoberranzan: City of Intrigue is nominated for an ENnie Award in 3 categories: Best Setting, Best Supplement, and Product of the Year. 2013: Menzoberranzan: City of Intrigue is nominated for Best Roleplaying Supplement by the 39th Annual Origins Awards. 2012: Monster Vault: Threats to the Nentir Vale wins a Silver ENnie Award for Best Monster/Adversary product. 2012: Monster Vault: Threats to the Nentir Vale is nominated for Best Roleplaying Supplement or Adventure by the 38th Annual Origins Awards. 2009: Brian's article Playing Dhampyr (Dragon Magazine #371) is selected to be published in the 2009 Dragon Magazine Annual 2008: Grand History of the Realms is nominated for Non-Fiction Publication of the Year by the 34th Annual Origins Awards.

Video games Year Title Role(s) 2020 PlanetSide franchise Loremaster / Narrative Designer 2017-2018 EverQuest franchise Loremaster