Colin McComb

Colin McComb is an American game designer and author known for his work on tabletop and video role-playing games, particularly during his time at TSR, Inc. and later Interplay Entertainment. He was one of the key designers on the Planescape campaign setting for Dungeons & Dragons in the 1990s. His video game credits include influential titles like Planescape: Torment, where he served as one of the main creative designers alongside Chris Avellone. McComb later worked as Creative Lead on Torment: Tides of Numenera, a spiritual successor to Planescape: Torment released in 2017. In addition to game design, McComb has written several fantasy novels including the Oathbreaker series. His writing contributions extend to numerous RPG sourcebooks and supplements across multiple gaming systems and settings. McComb continues to work in the gaming industry as both a designer and consultant, having contributed to projects at companies including inXile Entertainment and Monte Cook Games. His focus remains primarily on narrative design and worldbuilding for both digital and tabletop roleplaying experiences.

Readers consistently highlight McComb's worldbuilding and philosophical themes in both his game writing and novels. His work on Planescape: Torment gained him a dedicated following for its exploration of mortality and identity. Liked: - Complex narrative themes in the Oathbreaker series - Depth of worldbuilding in Planescape materials - Character writing that avoids standard fantasy tropes - Integration of philosophical questions into fantasy settings Disliked: - Some find his prose style dense or academic - Plot pacing in novels described as uneven by several readers - Later Planescape supplements seen as less innovative than early work Ratings: - Oathbreaker series averages 3.7/5 on Goodreads (200+ ratings) - Planescape supplements average 4.2/5 on RPGGeek (500+ ratings) - Torment: Tides of Numenera Steam reviews: 77% positive (5,000+ reviews) - Amazon ratings for novels average 3.5/5 (limited review count) One reader noted: "McComb excels at creating worlds that feel both alien and believable, though his writing can be challenging to parse at times."

On Hallowed Ground - A comprehensive sourcebook detailing the divine powers and celestial realms of the Planescape D&D setting, with extensive details about gods, proxies, and religious hierarchies across the planes.

Chris Avellone worked closely with McComb on Planescape: Torment and shares a similar approach to deep philosophical themes in game narratives. His writing in games like Knights of the Old Republic II and Fallout: New Vegas demonstrates comparable complexity in character development and moral ambiguity.

Monte Cook created the Numenera setting that McComb worked with and writes in a similar style that blends science fantasy with philosophical undertones. His work on Planescape and other D&D properties shows parallel interests in exploring unusual fantasy settings and metaphysical concepts.

R.A. Salvatore writes fantasy with strong world-building elements and character-driven narratives that appeal to McComb's audience. His work in both the Forgotten Realms setting and his own original worlds demonstrates similar attention to complex political systems and detailed lore.

Tracy Hickman combines game design experience with novel writing in ways that mirror McComb's career path. His work on Dragonlance and other properties shows comparable skill at creating settings that work both as game worlds and novel backdrops.

Steven Erikson creates complex fantasy worlds with philosophical themes and multiple overlapping narratives similar to McComb's work. His background in archaeology and anthropology influences his world-building in ways that parallel McComb's attention to cultural detail in settings like Planescape.