When the history of Dungeons & Dragons is told, certain names always take center stage, Gygax, Arneson, Kuntz, and so on. But in the background, quietly making things happen, were many unsung heroes. Enter Pete and Judy Kerestan, two figures whose contributions to the early days of table top role-playing games (TTRPGs) deserve more recognition than they often get. Their work helped shape the hobby in its formative years, particularly through their pioneering work in third party publishing. This blog post takes a deep dive into the contributions, innovations, and lasting legacy of the Kerestans, along with a sprinkle of humour, because, let’s be honest, this hobby was built on people with a sense of fun.

The Wild West of Early D&D Publishing

The early 1970s were a chaotic but thrilling time for table top gaming. With the release of Dungeons & Dragons in 1974, a floodgate opened for independent creators to contribute their own adventures, supplements, and rule expansions. This wasn’t a sleek, corporate industry yet, this was the Wild West, where a handful of passionate nerds with access to a typewriter and a photocopier could create something that would shape gaming history.

Pete and Judy Kerestan were among the earliest pioneers to recognize the potential of third party publishing. They founded Judges Guild, right? Wrong! That was Bob Bledsaw and Bill Owen. But what the Kerestans did was arguably just as ground breaking: they created Wee Warriors, the very first third party publisher of D&D compatible products. Yes, before there was Goodman Games, Paizo, or Kobold Press, there was Wee Warriors, blazing the trail for independent creators.

Wee Warriors: The First Third-Party D&D Publisher

In 1975, Pete and Judy Kerestan launched Wee Warriors, a company that would go on to publish some of the earliest D&D-compatible adventures and accessories. Their first release? Palace of the Vampire Queen (1976), the very first published stand-alone adventure module for Dungeons & Dragons.

To appreciate what a big deal this was, we need to remember that at the time, TSR hadn’t yet standardized the adventure module format. Dungeons & Dragons was still a nebulous set of guidelines rather than a structured game with pre-written adventures. If you wanted a dungeon crawl, you had to make one yourself, until the Kerestans stepped in.

Palace of the Vampire Queen was ground breaking. It provided a structured adventure complete with maps, encounters, and a basic storyline. It wasn’t a full on narrative experience like later TSR modules, but it laid the foundation for what adventure modules would become. The adventure itself was simple but effective: players were tasked with storming a vampire queen’s lair and putting an end to her reign of terror. It was spooky, it was deadly, and it was fun.

The module was originally sold in a plain, simple package because, remember, this was the mid-70s, and RPG publishing was still a kitchen table operation. TSR later distributed Palace of the Vampire Queen, which helped it reach a wider audience, but make no mistake: this was an independent creation through and through.

More Adventures, More Innovation

Encouraged by the success of Palace of the Vampire Queen, Wee Warriors went on to publish more content. Notable releases included:

• The Dwarven Glory (1977) – One of the first dungeon crawls focused on dwarves, featuring a stronghold overrun by orcs and other creatures. Because let’s be honest—if there’s one thing dwarves hate, it’s squatters.
• The Misty Isles (1977) – A more expansive setting that pushed the boundaries of what early D&D adventures could be. Think of it as an old-school Tomb of Annihilation—minus the dinosaurs, but with just as much potential for players to meet untimely ends.

But Wee Warriors wasn’t just about adventure modules. The Kerestans also produced some of the earliest RPG accessories, including character sheets (The Character Archaic), dungeon mapping templates, and other tools to help Dungeon Masters run smoother games. Today, we take high quality character sheets and game aids for granted, but back then, these were innovative products that helped standardize and streamline play.

The End of Wee Warriors and the Kerestans’ Legacy

Despite their groundbreaking work, Wee Warriors struggled to compete in an industry that was rapidly professionalizing. TSR, recognizing the growing importance of adventure modules, ramped up production of its own official scenarios, making it harder for small publishers to carve out a niche. By the early 1980s, Wee Warriors had faded from the scene, and Pete and Judy Kerestan eventually stepped away from RPG publishing.

However, their impact on the industry remains undeniable. They proved that independent creators could publish successful D&D compatible content, paving the way for countless future third party publishers. Today’s vibrant RPG publishing scene, with Kickstarter-funded adventures, DriveThruRPG, and the Open Game License owes a debt to Pete and Judy Kerestan’s pioneering work. Without Wee Warriors, we might never have had the thriving indie RPG ecosystem we enjoy today.

Why the Kerestans Matter

Pete and Judy Kerestan may not be household names in the way Gygax or Arneson are, but their influence on the hobby is significant. By taking the initiative to publish third party adventure modules and accessories, they helped shape how the game was played and expanded the possibilities of what D&D products could be.

More importantly, they embodied the DIY, entrepreneurial spirit that has always been at the heart of role-playing games. Their success with Wee Warriors sent a message to other creators: You don’t have to be TSR to make an impact. That same spirit is alive and well today in the countless indie RPG creators keeping the hobby fresh and innovative.

So the next time you’re flipping through a beautifully designed adventure module from an independent publisher, spare a thought for Pete and Judy Kerestan. They were doing it before it was cool, before Kickstarter, before PDFs, before glossy boxed sets. They were there in the trenches, figuring things out as they went, and laying the groundwork for everything that came after.

And that, my friends, is why we should raise a mug of dwarven ale (or at least a can of Mountain Dew) in their honour. Because without pioneers like the Kerestans, the world of table top gaming might have been a whole lot less exciting.