Cam Banks

Cam Banks is a game designer known his work on the Cortex System line of roleplaying games, and as the lead designer for Marvel Heroic Roleplaying, and for founding Fandom Tabletop.

Career Cam Banks and Christopher Coyle wrote a new campaign saga for Dragonlance that was produced by Sovereign Press in three parts: Key of Destiny (2004), Spectre of Sorrows (2005) and Price of Courage (2006). The series totaled 730 pages and covered the major events that occurred in the Age of Mortals. His first novel was published in 2007. He wrote the 2008 Dragonlance novel The Sellsword. Banks was later the Cortex System line editor for Margaret Weis Productions, and in 2010 the system was renovated into the Cortex Plus system.

In September 2019, Fandom Tabletop acquired the rights to Cortex from MWP and hired Banks as their new Cortex Creative Director.

Critical reception

As a lead designer on pre-existing products, Cam Banks was responsible for Margaret Weis Productions second ever Origins Award with Big Damn Heroes. His Supernatural: Guide to the Hunted was applauded for the design and detail work although criticized slightly for the adherence to Supernatural's canon. After becoming line developer he ceased to use the Cortex System, instead working with members of Evil Hat Productions to produce all the new games he created using the Cortex Plus.

Reception for the Cortex Plus games has been generally positive. Both io9 and RPGamer reviewed the Smallville Roleplaying Game, Banks's first game as lead designer. They praised the way the game "had the heart of an independent role playing game and focused on conflict rather than powers." Leverage: The Roleplaying Game was nominated for an Origins Award, and Marvel Heroic Roleplaying won two Origins Awards and an ENnie and was praised by SF Signal for how "authentic and true to the characters the representations felt."

Personal life A native of New Zealand, Banks lives in St Paul, Minnesota, where he has been working as a brand manager and production specialist for Atlas Games since February 2013.