Interested in seeing a few samples of Richard Baker’s writing work? Here’s a small selection of excerpts and files from different works.
Restless Lightning (Novel Preview)
This Amazon preview offers a look at the early chapters of the book. (You may need to use the Look Inside! button to see the sample.) Restless Lightning provides a good mix of world-building, dialogue, and an alternate PoV chapter in a science-fiction universe.
The King in Copper (Short Story)
Published in the Forgotten Realms anthology Realms of the Dead, “The King in Copper” is an undead-themed fantasy horror story set in the flagship setting of the Dungeons & Dragons game.
Here’s a link to a PDF version of the story: KinginCopperBaker
Calimport (Comic Script Excerpt)
This excerpt represents a few pages from an unpublished comic book script, set in the Forgotten Realms D&D game setting. I’ve included it to show some creative writing from a different storytelling medium (one that’s a bit more like a game cinematic). The dialogue is cast in a grandiloquent voice to evoke a high-fantasy Arabian Nights tone.
Lost Mine of Phandelver (RPG Adventure Excerpt)
The town of Phandelver is the major “quest hub” in the adventure “Lost Mine of Phandelver,” which served as the adventure in the Dungeons & Dragons Starter Set. The PDF below is a final-draft version of the town and the nearby adventure site. I specifically designed it to call upon the quest-hub experience new D&D players might be familiar with from their favorite video games.
Angels 20 Rulebook
The PDF below is the rulebook for the Axis & Allies Air Force Miniatures game, published by Wizards of the Coast in 2012. I designed the game and wrote the rulebook; I’m including it as an example of explanatory writing or technical writing. Rules text needs to be clear, engaging, and well-organized (and the game design is quite solid, too, if I do say so myself).
Swordmage (Novel Preview)
The first novel in my Blades of the Moonsea trilogy, set in the Forgotten Realms world of the Dungeons & Dragons game. The Amazon preview provides a good taste of the opening chapters. Swordmage is an example of a straightforward fantasy story, as opposed to the fantasy-horror tone of “The King in Copper.”
Other Credits of Note
In more than 25 years of working in the tabletop game industry and writing novels on the side, I’ve written or contributed to literally hundreds of titles. Some of my more recent credits or credits of special interest include:
- Alternity Science Fiction Roleplaying Game (2017)
- Princes of the Apocalypse, a Dungeons & Dragons adventure (2017)
- Primeval Thule Campaign Setting (2014)
- Gamma World Roleplaying Game, 7th Edition (2010)
- Dark Sun Campaign Setting for Dungeons & Dragons, 4th Edition (2010)
- Axis & Allies Naval Miniatures Game (2007)
- Red Hand of Doom, a Dungeons & Dragons adventure (2006)
- Dungeons & Dragons for Dummies (2005)
- The Last Mythal, a trilogy of Forgotten Realms novels (2004)
Additional Samples
If you need to see additional samples of fiction, game design, or different forms of my writing, please feel free to reach out via the Contact form and let me know what you’re looking for. I’ll see what I can pull together for your review.
Richard Baker 