David J. Ritchie

David James Ritchie (October 6, 1950^[1] – September 6, 2009^[2]) was a game designer and author.

David J. Ritchie
Born	(1950-10-06)October 6, 1950
Died	September 6, 2009(2009-09-06) (aged 58) Connecticut, US
Nationality	American
Occupation	Game designer

Early life and education

David Ritchie was a Canton, Ohio native who graduated from Lehman High School in Canton and then went to Grove City College in Pennsylvania where he met Deborah, who he later married.^[2]

Career

David Ritchie was working for Simulations Publications, Inc. (SPI) when it was taken over by TSR in March 1982.^[3]: 14 In the following months, as SPI employees either quit or were fired, Ritchie became the last remaining holdover from SPI.^[3]: 14 He designed The Omega War in his final months at SPI,^[4] before leaving in late 1983 to work for Coleco.^[3]: 14 Ritchie, along with Jon Pickens, David "Zeb" Cook, Harold Johnson, Rick Swan, and Ed Carmien, co-wrote the adventure module OA2 Night of the Seven Swords.^[5] Ritchie and Dave Arneson wrote a series of four adventures that further detailed the world of Blackmoor which Arneson had created, and they were published by TSR as DA1: Adventures in Blackmoor (1986), DA2: Temple of the Frog (1986), DA3: City of the Gods (1987) and DA4: The Duchy of Ten (1987).^[3]: 388

Ritchie wrote the 1991 book Connecticut: Off the Beaten Path with his wife, Deborah.^[6]

Ritchie died in his Connecticut home on September 6, 2009, at the age of 58.^[2]