october april american game designer best known developing published role playing game rpg early 1970s early work fundamental development genre developing concept rpg devices considered dungeons neutral judge having conversations imaginary characters develop storyline discovered teenager 1960s began combining games concept role playing student met con gaming convention late 1960s created game fictional world writing rules basing setting medieval fantasy elements showed game following year pair developed set rules subsequently founded publish game worked briefly company left filed suit retain credits royalties game continued work independent game designer briefly worked 1980s continued play games entire life work computer programming taught computer game design game rules design 1990s shortly death experience miniature role playing game design work grew interest parents bought board early 1960s taught friends play group began design games tried new ways play existing games especially fond naval exposure role playing influenced later game designs college history classes role played historical events preferred recorded history manner similar scenarios recreated late 1960s joined group miniature military collectors minneapolis paul area included ranks future game designer asserts games created members participated helped develop foundations modern role playing games scale basis focusing non combat objectives step away individual play varied challenges later participant scenarios continued run scenarios eventually expanded include ideas lord rings took drafted army ran different eras different settings member time history student working time security guard attended second gaming convention august time primary focus event met founded 1960s wisconsin far home minnesota shared interest sailing ship games authored don ship naval battle rules serialized june later published single volume revised edition following departure armed service duty october began imagine medieval fantasy style players explored dungeons castle inhabited fantastic monsters adjusted allow players play escort fight forces evil beneath originated plastic kit castle originally played mix rules rock paper resolve combat later adapted elements naval rules armor class system like later spent previous days watching monster movies channel creature feature weekend reading conan books recall ones thought pretty piece paper time tired napoleonic campaign rigid rules fantasy combat system appearing rules written published spring applied short time finding lacking wrote modified rules apply role playing game scenarios game evolved modifications game modern players describe campaign setting complete game gameplay recognizable modern players featuring use fixed hit points armor class character development dungeon setting time continues played present day described non traditional medieval setting things steam power gunpowder submarines limited numbers tank running emphasis story details original campaign established map great kingdom brought print briefly issue book newsletter july later expanded form published judges guild later deemed influenced concept dungeons originated setting purely fantasy oriented incorporated recent history science fiction elements visible later module series published particularly city gods present early mid-1970s original campaign parallel games run developed adventures intended publication science fiction rpg november traveled meet thought interested dungeon developed player expressed desire play game playing game immediately began similar campaign called asked draft playing rules collaborated phone mail carried groups contacts wanted publish game rejected afford invest venture felt need publish game soon possible similar projects planned rules hastily final draft despite eventually provided funding required publish original set initial print run selling year sales increasing rapidly subsequent years rules sample dungeon original campaign published rpg scenario professional publication released supplement named campaign setting supplement offered little way details actual campaign showed imagined able work final original game opportunity present game included new classes monks assassins monsters temple frog published rpg adventure people run book bore setting focused house rules background material formally joined director research beginning left end year pursue career independent game designer despite fact longer published index page booklet properties point time including original book set gods gods heroes seven issues strategic review agreed pay royalties products company came claimed significantly different product pay royalties response filed lawsuits march confidential agreement resolved suits court agreeing credited creators packaging products point court ruled game end lingering tensions years later bought wanted drop word advanced planned edition ceo approached resolve decade old issue released claims undisclosed sum money wrote setting judges guild original player authored adventures fantasy role playing game attempted recapture original spirit envisioned early 1970s instead early 1980s established game company staffed largely friends members civil war group produced games new edition adventures fantasy role playing game company half dozen related books friendship adventure games profitable found workload excessive finally sold company flying buffalo picked rights adventure games owned portion let care rest company stock shut company president mid-1980s briefly series set written detailed campaign setting time forced removed company planned fifth module published went separate ways wrote new module set called garbage pits despair published parts magazine issues stated belief paper computer hack slash teach play games like stood pretty instead trend follow innovations hoped computer teach newcomers role play offering interesting campaigns said games genre hoped stepped computer industry founded computer company minnesota business today computer programming worked games eventually found consulting computer companies living california late 1980s chance work special education children returning minnesota pursued teaching began speaking schools educational uses role playing multi sided teach math 1990s began working sail private university teaches subjects continued professor computer game design wrote check free royalties owed allowed simply working dragons basement video documentary early history role playing games describes documentary basically series interviews original players affect life original rpg designers like traveller empire throne cameo appearance movie throwing dragon scene deleted completed movie founded games produce updated system version setting published distributed produced products year code released campaign 4th edition personal life married daughter grandchildren continued play games entire life including military miniature games regularly attended annual meeting play original minnesota taught class rules game class students learned accurately document create rule sets games balanced mental challenges players physical ones characters retired position june died april battling cancer years according daughter biggest thing dad world wanted people fun life think distracted everyday things life forget enjoy life fun honors tributes received numerous industry awards creating role playing games inducted named pyramid magazine millennium influential persons realm adventure gaming honored famous game designer featured king hearts days death coast temporarily replaced page section web site tribute tributes gaming world included tower april video game publisher posted tribute website april released patch online role playing game secrets dedicated turbine dungeons dragons online added game memorial altar ruins location game created game item named mantle reward finishing quest chain narrated mantle description reads inspiring presence surrounds hold run edges fine cape drawn lining incredibly detailed map place named october dedicated student game development studio space honor partial index adventures fantasy thieves world author port author adventures temple frog module city gods module dna case pacific haunted lighthouse dungeon crawl classics module lead designer player guide
Dave Arneson