Bruce Heard Game designer, author of a series of add-ons for the role-playing game 'Dungeons' Date of Birth: 09.03.1957 Country: France

Biography of Bruce Heard

Bruce Heard is a game designer and the author of a series of expansions for the role-playing game 'Dungeons & Dragons.' He was born on March 9, 1957, in Nice, France. His mother was French, and his father was an American officer in the United States Navy. Bruce spent his childhood in France, England, Morocco, and the United States, which allowed him to become fluent in French, English, Spanish, Portuguese, and some German.

After completing high school in Nice in 1977, Bruce pursued his passion for war games, particularly those produced by Avalon Hill, such as 'Kriegspiel,' 'Luftwaffe,' 'Third Reich,' and 'Panzer Leader.' He studied hotel management and worked as a concierge in France and the United States due to his love for traveling. It was during his time in San Francisco that Bruce discovered 'Dungeons & Dragons' and became involved in the gaming community upon his return to Paris.

Bruce began writing articles about 'Dungeons & Dragons' and 'Advanced Dungeons & Dragons' for French magazines. He soon realized that the company TSR needed a translator to bring these games to the French market. Given his fluency in both French and English, as well as his familiarity with role-playing games, Bruce decided to write a letter to Gary Gygax, the co-creator of 'Dungeons & Dragons.' By chance, Gary was planning a trip to Paris and they arranged a meeting. Gary offered Bruce a job, and in 1983, Bruce joined TSR.

Initially, Bruce worked on translating the games into French, coordinating with other translators. After two years, he was promoted to editor, working closely with Jon Pickens. When Pickens became the editor of the magazine 'Strategy & Tactics,' Bruce became the department coordinator, handling contracts with freelance authors. Bruce also contributed to game development, creating modules such as 'CM7,' 'Tree of Life,' 'M1,' 'Into the Maelstrom,' and was involved in the development of 'DL12' and 'Dragons of Faith.'

Throughout his career, Bruce worked on various products for 'Dungeons & Dragons,' including the 'Voyage of the Princess Ark' series written for the magazine 'Dragon' and several expansions for 'Advanced Dungeons & Dragons.'