Notable Women RPG Authors

         Female RPG authors are uncommon -- perhaps even less common among RPG authors than female players are among RPG players. However, they are definitely there. Below are links to information on a number of female RPG authors, ordered alphabetically by last name:

• Meguey Baker
  Author and publisher of "1001 Nights".
• Erica Balsley
  Editor of the True20 Bestiary, as well as for other products for Goodman Games, Necromancer Games, and Mongoose Publishing.
• Nancy Varian Berberick
  Wizards of the Coast novel author
• Jenna K. Moran (formerly Rebecca Borgstrom)
  Author of "Nobilis" and co-author of "Weapons of the Gods".
• Emily Care Boss
  Author and publisher of "Breaking the Ice" and "Shooting the Moon".
• Jackie Cassada
  Developer and line editor for Ravenloft and Changeling, and contributing author on these and dozens of other White Wolf books.
• Genevieve Cogman
  Contributing author for White Wolf's "Orpheus" as well as for many supplements to Exalted, In Nomine, and other lines.
• Storm Constantine
  Independent fiction author as well as designer, publisher and author of the Wraethuthu RPG. Also a contributing author to Warhammer and Mage: The Sorcerers Crusade.
• Tonya C. Cook
  Wizards of the Coast novel author
• Elaine Cunningham
  Wizards of the Coast novel author
• Julie Ann Dawson
  Author of Neiyar: Land of Heaven and the Abyss, a D20 campaign setting.
• Elizabeth Ditchburn Dew
  Author of White Wolf's The Risen and Clanbook: Lasombra.
• Amanda Dickerson
  Author of "Dead Sea Murder" and Traveller articles.
• Hilary Doda
  Line Editor at Dream Pod 9; contributing author for Gamemastering Secrets.
• Ann Dupuis
  President of Grey Ghost Games, and contributing author to many RPG books and articles, such as GURPS Old West and many Fudge projects, and author of Another Fine Mess for Fudge.
• Heather Grove
  Contributing author on many White Wolf books.
• Dana Habecker
  Contributing designers and author for White Wolf's "Exalted" and other books.
• Jessica Hammer
  Co-author on the Deliria book Everyday Heroes, designer of "Decade" and "The Weaver's Daughters", and a regular contributor to Game Chef.
• Jess Hartley
  Contributing author for White Wolf books in the Promethean, Werewolf: the Forsaken, World of Darkness, and other lines.
• Jennifer Hartshorn
  Co-designer and line editor of Wraith: The Oblivion, design contributor Changeling, co-author and manager of Vampire: The Dark Ages, and line editor of Vampire: The Masquerade (in between Andrew Greenberg and Rob Hatch). Wrote and edited for Fading Suns and Mage while founding two live-action game studios, Chimera Interactive and White Hart Interactive.
• Heather Heckel
  Contributing author for various White Wolf books.
• Laura Hickman
  Co-author of "The Bronze Canticles Trilogy" and the Serenity role-playing game adventure "Into the Black" as well as the classic D&D adventure "Ravenloft", all with her husband, Tracy Hickman.
• Sheri M. Johnson
  Contributing designer and author for "Exalted" and "Aberrant".
• Gwendolyn Kestrel
  Designer and editor of many D&D3 products for Wizards of the Coast including Monster Manual III, Monster Manual IV, and Races of the Dragon.
• Ellen Kiley
  Contributing author for White Wolf's "Orpheus" and other White Wolf lines as well as Gamma World D20.
• Nancy Kilpatrick
  Horror writer and author for White Wolf including The Fragile Path (for Mage) and Blood Magic (for Vampire).
• Nicole Lindroos
  Founding member of White Wolf Game Studio, and contributor on the design work for the original Vampire: The Masquerade. Subsequently, author of many supplements for Atlas Games, White Wolf, and Green Ronin.
• Michelle Lyons
  Former staff editor for FASA and Wizards of the Coast, contributing author of many RPG books, including Shadowrun 4th Edition and Fireborn. Currently publishing under Growling Door Games including curse the darkness and Chill 3rd edition (currently kick-starting).
• Angel Leigh McCoy
  Co-author of Changeling and other White Wolf books.
• Elizabeth McCoy
  Author of various GURPS articles and contributions.
• Deena Christine McKinney
  Contributing author for many White Wolf books including Mage: Sorceror's Crusade, Mage: The Ascension (2nd edition), and World of Darkness (2nd edition).
• Judith A. McLaughlin
  Contributing author for many White Wolf supplements.
• Janet Pack
  Co-author of The Way of the Witch (for D20) and co-author with Jean Rabe of The Taan (for Sovereign Stone).
• Jean Rabe
  Novel author including novels for TSR, Inc and Wizards of the Coast, and contributing designer, author, and editor for a number of TSR supplements (and a few other companies).
• Nicky Rea
  Developer and line editor for Ravenloft and Changeling, and contributing author on these and dozens of other White Wolf books.
• Jennifer Reynolds
  Co-author of Abeo from Insomnium Games.
• Megan Robertson
  Co-author of The Way of the Witch (for D20) and co-designer of the Bulletproof Screen for Louis Porter, Jr. Design. Designer of the RPG Resource website.
• Annie Rush
  Author of Run Robot Red, The Secret Lives of Gingerbread Men, and Alien Summit.
• Kathleen Ruiz (also credited as Kathleen Williams)
  Co-author of Legendary Lives (1990), Lost Souls (1992), and Khaotic (1994), and scenario author for Concrete Jungle (2002), a New York City supplement for the Mean Streets game.
• Kathleen Ryan aka Marauder Girl
  Designer and contributing author on Mage (1st and 2nd ed), Changeling, and other White Wolf books. She was also the graphic designer for Mage during its original run, and author of a number of World of Darkness novels. Her work on Mage 2nd Edition and the Mage Tarot won two GAMA awards and an RPGA award.
• Lisa Smedman
  Editor and fiction author for TSR, Inc and Wizards of the Coast.
• Lisa Stevens
  President and CEO of Paizo Publishing. Former brand manager for TSR and Wizards of the Coast. Founding member of White Wolf Game Studio, and contributor on the design work for the original Vampire: The Masquerade.
• Christina Stiles
  Author and contributing author of a number of D20 modules for Green Ronin, Goodman Games, Atlas Games, and others.
• Cynthia Summers
  Contributing author for Mage: The Ascension 2nd Edition, Vampire: The Dark Ages, and Wraith: The Oblivion 2nd Edition.
• Sharon Tripp
  Publisher of Rogue Publishing, author of the Mont Saint Michel larp and many others.
• Monica Valentinelli
  Project manager for www.flamesrising.com, working on developing an RPG called Occupation. Contributor to Aletheia, Noumenon, and Exquisite Replicas for Abstract Nova; "Worlds of the Dead" for Eden Studios; "Warrior-Priest" for Spartans Unleashed; and co-creator of "Colonial Gothic" for Rogue Games.
• Margaret Weis
  Novel author and co-author of "Darksword Adventures".
• Jennifer Clarke Wilkes
  Lead designer on Faiths of Eberron for Wizards of the Coast, and writer/editor for many other WotC, White Wolf, and Green Ronin products.
• J. Porter Wiseman
  Design contributor for Euthanatos and Mage: The Sorcerers Crusade.
• Lindsay Woodcock
  Editor, designer and contributing author on Mage, Kindred of the East, Vampire: The Dark Ages, Abberant, Fading Suns, and Deliria.
• Teeuwynn Woodruff
  Game designer at Wizards of the Coast for more than a decade, working on brands such as Dungeons & Dragons, Magic: The Gathering, Pokemon, Star Sisterz, Avalon Hill, and Dreamblade. Also contributing author of over two dozen roleplaying games and supplements for other companies on lines including White Wolf's World of Darkness, Earthdawn, Indiana Jones, and Species.

For a larger context than tabletop RPGs, see also the Next Generation article "The Game Industry's 100 Most Influential Women".