Round up your party and call on your Dungeon Master because Filipino D&D fans have something to celebrate!
Makenzie De Armas, the lead writer of ‘The Islands of Sina Una’, has just announced that she is now an Associate Game Designer at Wizards of the Coast — the publishing company that produces Dungeons & Dragons.
I guess I can multiclass into Wizard… ✨
I’m so thrilled to announce that I am now a full-time Associate Game Designer for @Wizards_DnD! There’s already so much I’m looking forward to creating, and I can’t wait to get started. The adventure begins! #wotcstaff pic.twitter.com/gL4GyW668e
— Makenzie De Armas 💖 (@MakenzieLaneDA) January 18, 2021
De Armas previously worked on an independent project called ‘The Islands of Sina Una’, a Campaign Setting for the 5th Edition of D&D that is based on Philippine mythology. While the tabletop role-playing game has been around for about 47 years now, it was the first time to see a campaign representing Filipino culture. The project was widely successful, having raised $42,558 for its production. According to Director Lucia Versprille and Co-Director Joshua Mendenhall, everyone on the ‘Sina Una’ team was of Filipino heritage as well. While its members are spread across the globe, a number of Philippine natives helped bring ‘Sina Una’ to life. Among them are writers BJ Recio, Joaquin Kyle Saavedra, Pam Punzalan, and Sinta Posadas. Since the launch of the campaign, it has inspired other Asian RPG creators to release their own games.
On her website, De Armas says that she played her first Dungeons & Dragons game in 2018, which would ultimately change her life. Sure enough, she’s been active in the tabletop RPG community since then. She has published several best-selling titles on Dungeon Masters Guild, the official marketplace of D&D content. Her previous work, Knarl’s Candy Compendium, has also earned her an ENnie Award — fan-based awards for role playing game products. The Filipina writer graduated last 2020 with a BFA in Creative Writing from Chapman University in Orange County, California.
The D&D community in the Philippines looks forward to seeing De Armas make strides at Wizards of the Coast.
Other POP! stories you might like:
Mythical Creature ‘Bakunawa’ arises in a new musical
What the Folktales: Philippine mythical creatures you need to know
Baby Yoda takes over the board game industry with new Monopoly game
