
March
28, 1999
DAVE
ARNESON
The
co- designer of the original DUNGEONS & DRAGONS
game (among others), Dave Arneson has stayed busy
as a game designer, reviewer, video historian,
lecturer, and all around nice guy.
The
D&D game sprang from that sense of fun. In the
late 1960s, Arneson was playing military miniatures
and board games, with his own club in Minnesota.
Arneson disliked many aspects of the "Military
Simulations" of the period that miniature folks
insist on for "historical accuracy in their games.
"That this is an impossibility has never bothered
the majority of them."
Dave's
medieval games soon saw the introduction of "Hero"
leaders and "magical monsters" in addition to
the 'normal' military units of knights and bowmen.
It was a short step from there to the individual
"heroic quest' that dominates most Fantasy fiction.
Arneson's
Napoleonic campaign was soon replaced in the early
70s with BLACKMOOR fantasy campaign setting.
"roleplaying in a non-traditional medieval setting,
with such things as steam power, gunpowder, and
submarines, yet with the emphasis on story and
roleplaying not roll playing." The BLACKMOOR Campaign
merit regard as the longest running continuously
running
fantasy roleplaying campaign in the world. - 25
years and counting.
After
the D&D games, Arneson kept busy in the early
80s with his own game company, Adventure Games,
producing two notable miniature games JOHNNY REB
and HARPOON. In addition to writing ADVENTURES
IN FANTASY RPG (1982), he also ventured into doing
historical articles, computer game reviews, raised
rabbits (Harder than it sounds!) worked on computer
games (like STORM CLOUDS OVER DIXIE), and played
games when he could.
If
you had seen Dungeons & Dragons movie, you
may have even seen Dave in the film as one of
the mages. Rumor has it if a sequel is made
he will get a major dramatic death scene, which
he has said if true he would love to do. Good
or bad he enjoyed doing the movie.
Future
plans include, finishing up a video documentary
called DRAGONS IN THE
BASEMENT
about the origins and first decade of role playing
games, traveling,
lecturing, talking to D&D players, and gaining
perspectives on the international impact of roleplaying
games.
Update
- John
Kentner, videographer for Dragons in the Basement,
is nearing completion. only final editing is needed.
If interested in helping support this project
contact us and we can get you in contact. The
extensive interviews include most of all who were
there in the early years of gaming. - Kevin
Presently
Dave is a lecturer at a private University in
Florida teaching COMPUTER GAME DESIGN, republishing
his naval miniatures game DON'T GIVE UP THE SHIP,
and an Associate Professor at Louisiana State
University for the NATIONAL CIVIL WAR CENTER web
page. Oh yeah and then there is that novel Arneson
keeps plunking away at.
Jason
Della Rocca (IGDA), Marc Mencher (VSearch),
Dave Arneson (Full Sail, and the creator of
Dungeons & Dragons),
and John Romero (Monkey Stone) pose before the
chapter action gets underway.
http://www.igda.org/Endeavors/Events/events_orlando_2002.htm

home
| dave arneson | activities | published works
| origin of role-playing | blackmoor campaign
photos & downloads | d&d | friends | contact
info. | webmaster
|