Grey Ghost Press is owned and operated by Ann Dupuis (that’s me!). I’ve been a freelance writer, editor, and cartographer in the roleplaying game industry since 1990, when I first began writing for Steve Jackson Games’ GURPS system and TSR’s Dungeons & Dragons system. When the “Known World” setting for TSR’s D&D line became the Mystara setting for AD&D, I moved along with it.
After a few years, I grew a bit restless working for other companies. At the same time, my good friend Steffan O’Sullivan was polishing up his FUDGE game system (then known as the Freeform Universal Donated Game Engine -- the first “open source” roleplaying game system that I know of). I saw an opportunity to start my own game company and promote the Fudge game at the same time.
Over the years, Grey Ghost Press has produced high-quality, fun roleplaying games and supplements using the Fudge game system. Most of Grey Ghost Games’s products have been nominated for or have won various awards, including Origins Awards and Ennies.
Since 2005, I've not released any new books, although I have introduced some new Fudge dice and new dice colors.
Why the long break?
Game publishing is expensive, and not a good way to "get rich quick. Gamemastering Secrets, one of our best-sellling book, came out in 2002, but the fulfillment center that handled the initial sales went out of business (owing Grey Ghost Press and other companies a LOT of money). When I released two hardcovers in the same year, and that year turned out to be the year that the roleplaying game industry contracted (almost half the game stores in the US closed), I was left with a lot of debt and not much capital. Coupled with my going "pro" as a dog behavior consultant in 2005, that meant I had neither the time nor the money to produce additional books.
Then in 2012, I was diagnosed with breast cancer. I kicked its ass! but recovery took time. Fortunately, sales of Fudge dice skyrocketed (due to the popularity of FATE games that use Fudge dice), and that started bringing money again.
Time is still short, but I have some ideas for additional Grey Ghost Games products, especially in the Terra Incognita line. Stay tuned!
