By Bundle of Holding operator Allen Varney
Before I launched the Bundle of Holding in February 2013, I had a 28+-year career/meander/ordeal as a freelance game designer for many now-defunct companies including TSR, West End Games, FASA, and others. I designed Paranoia XP (Mongoose, 2004), wrote the first AD&D Spelljammer adventure (SJA1 Wildspace, 1990), and published more than 200 articles, columns, and reviews in Dragon magazine, The Duelist, and many others. (Wikipedia – RPGgeek)
On Tuesday, 23 September 2025 I’ll be hanging out on Reddit’s r/rpg subreddit to promote Manse Magnificent, a Fifth Edition sourcebook I wrote with my wife, Beth Fischi. The 160-page Manse Magnificent describes the Cornerstone, a wondrous arcane item that conjures an astral safehouse wherever you are. This sanctuary, the hearth, grows more luxurious as your party rises in level. Give low-level characters the benefits of the high-level magnificent mansion spell – without breaking the game. Sign up here to be notified when the Kickstarter goes live.
In the Reddit topic “Allen Varney (Bundle of Holding, Paranoia XP, Manse Magnificent) – AMA 23 Sept 2025” I’ll answer questions about the early days of the roleplaying hobby, the Bundle of Holding, and Manse Magnificent. I hope to see you there!
Some highlights to prompt conversation:
- In 1984-86 I worked as an Assistant Editor at Steve Jackson Games, where my boss was Warren Spector, later a legendary producer of computer games. I proofread the first edition of GURPS eight times, despite which many errors still got through, sorry.
- My 1988 movie tie-in The Willow Sourcebook later became a reference for the producers of the short-lived 2022 Disney+ Willow TV series.
- My “Role-Playing Reviews” column in Dragon magazine #201 (Jan 1994) was one of the first published reviews of Magic: The Gathering. (The same issue presented my article “Turkey’s Underground Cities,” based on my visit to Derinkuyu and Kaymakli in Cappadocia.)
- In the ’90s Beth wrote for all of White Wolf’s early Storyteller games, including Vampire: The Masquerade (Dark Colony), Mage: The Ascension (Order of Hermes 1E), and Wraith: The Oblivion (Sandmen).
