Interview with Rob Kuntz
(1574 total words in this text)
(219 Reads) 
12-02-01
Posted by
Mark Bruno
If anything can be said of the RPG industry it’s that this hobby, which has remained a niche market for many years, nonetheless, has fostered some of the most creative game designers to ever work in “entertainment.” Folks like Gary Gygax, Dave Arneson, Steve Jackson, Marc Miller and others have provided gamers with countless hours of good, solid role-playing fun for nearly 20+ years. Included in that list of prominent game designers is Rob Kuntz, co-DM of the original Castle Greyhawk and author and co-collaborator for numerous AD&D; books, some of which included Deities & Demigods, Expedition to the Barrier Peaks, Mordenkainen's Fantastic Adventure, et al. His work also ventured into the realm of board gaming with authoring credits belonging to King of the Tabletop, Magus, and Kings & Things.
At the onset of WotC’s decision to produce the Open Gaming License, thereby allowing anyone to publish content for the new D&D; role-playing game, was there doubt in anyone’s mind that Kuntz and other imitable designers, such as Gygax, would be back in full force, this time creating works for use with the Third Edition? Well, if there was, that doubt has proved to be unfounded—Kuntz may never have left the world of RPG publishing, but there’s no doubt he will once again be well known to a new generation of RPG enthusiasts.
Before we begin, Rob, I’d like to thank you for taking the time to answer a few questions about what you have in the works. You’re a very busy man these days I take it.
Thanks! Without the fans and the industry created by them, I’d be writing blurbs on the back of milk cartons, so I’m never too busy to answer questions, really.
Perhaps, Rob, you’re best know for your significant contributions to the original Greyhawk campaign setting and Deities & Demigods. Since that time, what significant changes within the industry, such as how RPGs are now developed and marketed, have you noticed?
The Internet has opened up marketing possibilities considerably; and with d20 there have been some unique cooperative ventures. As far as development, that’s a hard question to answer, since I don’t have a pulse meter on the whole market, least of all systems other than D&D.;
What are your thoughts on WotC’s Open Gaming License? It seems that people either consider the OGL as a boon to the industry or something that should never have been developed.
I see the OGL as a gate opening up new opportunities of expression for writers and artists, as well as for established and new game companies to shine with cutting edge products. I hope many industry folks see this in the same light as I do. I guess it’s relative whether OGL is a boon or a bane. Game companies that feel that they must retool to d20 might view its advent with hardened words and thoughts, whereas many view it as a positive. Depends on the point of view, I suppose. In either case, OGL/d20 is bearing fruit of varying tastes, and that’s good as long as there are a wide variety of offerings to satisfy all of the many tastes that make up our market.
Are there any particular systems available today that have piqued your interest from either a professional/design viewpoint or a fan’s perspective?
I am probably the worst person to ask that question of. My time is given wholly to D&D;/d20 ventures, though I would welcome reviewing alternate systems and even board games, of which I’ve designed a few. I just don’t have the overall industry knowledge to answer that.
You’ve recently been involved with d20 System publishers, such as Troll Lord and Necromancer Games. What brought about a decision to produce d20 supplements with those and/or other companies?
There are a mixture of reasons, least of which was that they both approached me to do work for them. Upon examining their products and philosophies, I felt there was a match and proceeded to contract with each. Whereas Necromancer Games is established and ever present, Troll Lords showed a lot of moxie and resilience with their prior products. I feel that they will show significant strides in upcoming months at reaching an ever- widening fan base, and their projected product mix is possibly one of the more diverse being offered. That’s exciting from both a designer’s and gamer’s perspective.
Do you have any additional projects in the works? d20 System or otherwise?
I have much upcoming from both TLG and NG. Let’s see. The final Maze of Zayene series modules, City of Brass series, which is four medium-sized modules, Garden of the Plantmaster, and Hidden Realms of Zayene—all of these through NG. Troll Lords has on tap Codex Germania, which has turned into a labor of love for me at this point, with all of the research (re: blood) poured into it, and Dark Druids, a module which I wrote way back in the day as the co-DM of the original Greyhawk campaign. I’m having lots of fun creating new material for all of these projects.
Outside of that, I will soon announce a cooperative venture with Allan Grohe (formerly of Event Horizons Productions) and Eric Nelson Shook, both of which are veteran game designers in their own right who have been in the industry for well over 40 years between them. Eric is best known for his work with the RPGA under Frank Mentzer’s (Temple of Elemental Evil) tuetelage, his maps (he’s also a graphic artist) which he did for EX1 and EX2 (EGG’s Alice in Wonderland series) published through TSR, and those maps he drew for WG4, Temple of Tharizdun. He also contributed some major ideas, which were used in the Maze series as originally published. I will detail more about this venture when it is ready to go, but expect something quite original, as we’re out to break the d20 mold.
Being involved in the RPG industry as long as you have, surely you’ve collected bits of wisdom and knowledge along the way. Is there any advice you could give to budding game designers?
Seriously: Throw out everything you think you know, including the rules. Challenge established norms, redefine what imagination and creativity “really” are, ignore the jealous and the pundits (re: critics), push past the mundane and open up possibilities, don’t close them, no matter how absurd someone says you are, or how off base they say you appear to be. With that, follow the words of my oft-quoted author, Orson Scott Card: “How can we experience the literature of the strange if we always stay in well mapped lands?”
For d20 designers: Look past the rules to the real reason that D&D; is so popular and retake your imagination and verve if it’s been abandoned or stolen. Also stay involved. Many creative/positive people seem to be like me, waxing away in the realm of imagination and creation day in and day out. They can miss great opportunities, especially on the many game forums, to express their voice and views. This is not only important to re-solidify personal points of view, but has an overwhelming effect on new players and GMs to our industry. And it just may be your comment or suggestion that makes a difference to those seeking guidance or inspiration.
Is there any chance of you and Gary Gygax collaborating on a future project for the d20 System?
I’ll say this: More d20 products as penned by EGG are needed. His voice is still alive within the rules we use, as well as in the products we’ve seen, played or otherwise experienced at cons, etc. I recently reread EX1 and EX2, modules I had never playtested, which were at one point parts of the original Castle Greyhawk, which I helped co-DM. They were refreshing to say the least. This freshness, IMO, is missing from many of today’s modules and other game material; and this freshness is the result of EGG’s detailed writing style, but more so, of his fertile imagination and creativity, which jump out at the reader page after page, especially with these two gems. This is the stuff which not only made D&D; what it is today, but is what will sustain it for years to come under different authors and titles who are cut from that same imaginative and visionary piece of cloth. So, yes, besides those two creative folks who I mentioned earlier, I’d look forward to doing a project with Gary, though at this point we have nothing planned.
Is there anything you’d like to close with?
Yep. Where’s my free taco? Just kidding. I guess I’ll close with a few links. I will periodically post material to the following two sites. This “stuff” will be related to views expressed within this interview, or it may be free d20 material, such as PDFs of spells or an adventure or two, whatever extra project I can squeeze in between creative breathes! Just follow my link when you get to:
www.trolllord.com/
www.necromancergames.com/
Thank you very much, Rob, for taking the time to answer these questions. I know that many RPG enthusiasts look forward to seeing your work soon. Hopefully this will whet their appetites a bit more. Good luck.
Thanks! |
