N. Robin Crossby Role-playing system creator Date of Birth: 18.05.1954 Country: Canada

1. Early Life and Influences
2. Education and Artistic Pursuits
3. Role-Playing System Development
4. Personal Life and Creative Endeavors
5. The Genesis of Hârn

Early Life and Influences

Robin D. Laws was born in London to an Anglo-Welsh family, the third of four sons. As a child, he enjoyed drawing maps of imaginary lands and was fascinated by car racing and dinosaurs. In the early 1960s, Robin became engrossed in role-playing games with his siblings, which likely inspired the foundational tenets of the Hârn universe, loosely based on a reimagined history of Atlantis.

Education and Artistic Pursuits

In 1968, the Crossbys relocated to Vancouver, Canada, where Robin completed high school. After graduating, he worked at his father's company, Crosby Electronics, while pursuing a degree in philosophy at Douglas College. During this time, Robin began dabbling in graphic design, focusing on creating logos and posters.

Role-Playing System Development

While attending Simon Fraser University, Robin founded the Society for the Protection of Large Unpleasant Dragons, a club for tabletop gaming enthusiasts. This became a testing ground for his burgeoning role-playing systems, many of which proved too complex and were eventually abandoned.

Personal Life and Creative Endeavors

Robin met his future wife, Sharon MacLeod, in Canada through his sister. They had three daughters together: Arien, Faya, and Kiley. In addition to role-playing, Robin played guitar, wrote music and plays, and participated in amateur theater with his family and friends.

The Genesis of Hârn

The Hârn system was initially conceived in the late 1970s, and in 1980, Robin signed his first contract with Columbia Games Inc. In 1983, Columbia released a series of vibrant booklets called the Encyclopedia Hârnîca, detailing aspects of the Hârn world. Over the next three years, the publisher worked on the Kingdom Modules project, which included more historical content than previous booklets. The early 1980s also marked the release of the Hârn Regional Module, which included a large color map, believed to have contributed significantly to the universe's subsequent success.