A lot of people seem to think that Old School gaming is a commercial dead end. While it will probably never challenge WOTC or White Wolf, it really looks like it is commercially viable for small, focused companies. Brave Halfling Publishing is expanding!

In 2008, Brave Halfling Publishing far surpassed my expectations. I began BHP as a way to release a few optional character classes for Labyrinth Lord ™ RPG. But soon after a little BHP “family” came into being as dedicated gamers from all around the world began volunteering their time and talents to help each other create new material for the “retro-clones.” Personally, these new friendships are ones that I truly treasure. Last year, this BHP family developed and released over a dozen products on three different sites and I believe that we have become an important contribution to the current “Old-School Renaissance.”

But BHP’s success has come to a point where I either need to hold us where we are or push us further ahead. A change must take place and my choice is to push BHP further ahead. In 2009, Brave Halfling Publishing will be transitioning into becoming a “real” (but tiny) RPG publisher. While we already have a few folks who work in the industry involved with BHP, we will continue to be a great place for new and unpublished authors and artists to get their start.

So what does all that really mean?

First, we are now focusing on creating excellent print products that we will have printed ourselves (rather than using Print-On-Demand). That frees us up to create “Old-School” material exactly the way we want to create it. For example, print versions of BHP products will have old-school, blue maps on the inside cover and black & white maps placed right in the center of the module, where they can be easily removed and laid flat on a table behind the GM’s screen. Our first major print release will be Alphonso Warden and John Bingham’s excellent adventure module, “People of the Pit.”

Second, BHP will have a website up and running by March where you will be able to purchase material from us that is already printed and waiting to be shipped to anywhere in the world faster and far cheaper than through POD. In addition, when you purchase a print product from our website, you will also receive the pdf version as well.

Third, BHP will continue to release little pdfs (like “Delving Deeper” and “Original Edition Options). In addition, most of our print products will also eventually be release as pdfs as well.

While we will publish other material, BHP will continue serving the needs of the “Old-School” gaming community and by being a great place for gamers (new and old) to have their best material published.

-John Adams (Coleston the Cavalier)

I’m very happy to see this and wish John and the crew at BHP a great deal of success.