Judge
451
Judge 451, co-founder of Death Guaranteed Games, first grasped the dice of destiny in 1991 when he was gifted the D&D Black Box. This fateful encounter ignited a lifelong quest for immersive storytelling and perilous adventure. Drawn to the raw power of classic game design, Paul became a master of old-school RPG systems. He embraces the "rulings over rules" ethos that makes game sessions unique to the players at the table and the specific context for their PCs. As an adventure designer, Paul is a world-forging deity. His mind constantly churns with new realms, each more captivating than the last. Drawing inspiration from the haunting melodies of music, the visual poetry of cinema, and the transformative prose of literary titans like Robert E. Howard, Philip K. Dick, and Stephen King, Paul is drawn to stories that blur the line between fantasy and reality. In his games, danger lurks around every corner, keeping players perched on the edge of their seats. To play at Paul's table is to experience role-playing in its purest, most exhilarating form. Paul's fascination with tales where survival is not guaranteed often takes him beyond classic fantasy, of which he is fond of claiming that everything is known. From the high-intrigue, neon-soaked streets of cyberpunk to reality bending scenes of cosmic horror and the outter most reaches of space, nothing is beyond his interest.
Judge
Cro
Judge Cro played his first RPG in 1982 with nothing but pencils, dice, graph paper, and the boundless power of imagination—alongside his brothers, forging adventures that shaped a lifetime of storytelling. As co-founder, writer, and PR lead for Death Guaranteed Games, he brings a love for gritty, magical realism rooted in folklore and mythology, with just enough quirk to keep things interesting. A proud cult member of the Dungeon Crawl Classics community, Cro runs DCC exclusively, though he’s played just about every RPG under the sun. A lifelong Tolkien nerd, he thrives on crafting worlds that feel lived-in, dangerous, and full of wonder. His proudest project to date? The Cult That Never Was, written with and for his daughter—a testament to the enduring magic of shared adventures. Whether at the table or behind the scenes, Judge Cro is driven by one simple truth: the best stories are the ones we share. His adventures may be full of danger, mystery, and dark magic, but at the heart of it all is a love for the game—and the people who play it.
Judge Shadow
Judge Shadowfoot, or just Judge Shadow for short grew up as an avid soccer player and video game enthusiast, but arrived in the realm of TTRPG after he was already over 30. In 2019, become bored with video games and looking for something that would allow a bit more creativity and options he remembered listening to the Adventure Zone podcast and started listening to the Critical Role podcast. He fell in love with the comedic and wacky situations that would happen and felt like this was something that would scratch the itch he had been searching for. SO, Judge Shadow reached out to some friends and offered to run a DnD 5e game for them. This game would end up running for over 2 years before new jobs and relocation would bring it to an abrupt halt. They rolled poorly on our luck checks I guess. Although he had enjoyed his time with DnD 5e, it felt clunky and rules heavy and far more fun for players than the DM. He searched for something else and in the depths of an ancient and dark tomb and found the writings of Joseph Goodman and his world of Dungeon Crawl Classics. He picked up the tome, failed his will save, and will forever be cursed to follow the cult of DCC! The wacky and gonzo worlds of DCC, MCC and XCC fit Judge Shadow’s game style perfectly. Whether running one shots online, game days at my local gaming store, or killing characters at conventions, 6 years of running games at this point and he has only ever played as a character in a handful of games; many of those at Judge Cro’s or Judge 451’s tables. Judge Shadow now prefers being behind the Judge screen and bringing to life adventures for other players. This experience has left his mind overflowing with ideas for new adventure modules and with the assistance and guidance of Judges Cro and 451, he looks forward to bringing our unique adventures to life…and DEATH!