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Bill Slavicsek
Bill Slavicsek is a game designer who served as the Director of Roleplaying Design and Development at Wizards of the Coast. He previously worked for West End Games and TSR, Inc., and designed products for ''Dungeons & Dragons'', ''Star Wars'', ''Alternity'', ''Torg'', ''Paranoia'' and ''Ghostbusters''. Biography Early life Bill Slavicsek was born and raised in New York City. Slavicsek was a comic book, horror, and science fiction fan as a boy: "Some of my earliest memories involve looking at issues of Marvel Comics, drawing my own comics, and watching old SF and horror movies on TV". Interested in gaming from an early age, Slavicsek was introduced to roleplaying games in 1977 when he discovered Dungeons & Dragons. Originally intending to pursue a career as a comic book artist, Slavicsek switched to journalism and communication at St. John's University. West End Games After working for a year at a community newspaper, Slavicsek was hired by West End Games as an editor in 1986. In ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
:Template:Infobox Writer/doc
Infobox writer may be used to summarize information about a person who is a writer/author (includes screenwriters). If the writer-specific fields here are not needed, consider using the more general ; other infoboxes there can be found in :People and person infobox templates. This template may also be used as a module (or sub-template) of ; see WikiProject Infoboxes/embed for guidance on such usage. Syntax The infobox may be added by pasting the template as shown below into an article. All fields are optional. Any unused parameter names can be left blank or omitted. Parameters Please remove any parameters from an article's infobox that are unlikely to be used. All parameters are optional. Unless otherwise specified, if a parameter has multiple values, they should be comma-separated using the template: : which produces: : , language= If any of the individual values contain commas already, add to use semi-colons as separators: : which produces: : , ps ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Communication
Communication (from la, communicare, meaning "to share" or "to be in relation with") is usually defined as the transmission of information. The term may also refer to the message communicated through such transmissions or the field of inquiry studying them. There are many disagreements about its precise definition. John Peters argues that the difficulty of defining communication emerges from the fact that communication is both a Universality (philosophy), universal phenomenon and a Communication studies, specific discipline of institutional academic study. One definitional strategy involves limiting what can be included in the category of communication (for example, requiring a "conscious intent" to persuade). By this logic, one possible definition of communication is the act of developing Semantics, meaning among Subject (philosophy), entities or Organization, groups through the use of sufficiently mutually understood signs, symbols, and Semiosis, semiotic conventions. An im ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Peter Adkison
Peter D. Adkison is an American game designer and businessman who is the founder and first CEO of Wizards of the Coast (1993–2001). During Adkison's tenure, Wizards of the Coast rose to the status of a major publisher in the hobby game industry. Wizards achieved success with its creation of ''Magic: the Gathering'', which started the collectible card game genre. It also distributed the Pokémon trading cards, and later acquired TSR, publisher of the ''Dungeons & Dragons'' role-playing game, releasing a successful new edition. Adkison is the current owner of Gen Con, a major yearly game convention in the Midwest. In 1999, Adkison sold Wizards of the Coast to Hasbro, remaining with the company until January 2001. As a longtime fan of role-playing games (RPGs), Adkison has become an advocate for indie RPGs. His own game design work includes '' The Primal Order'', a "capstone system" for use with any of a number of different role-playing games. Background As a child, Adkison en ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Del Rey Books
Del Rey Books is a branch of Ballantine Books, which is owned by Random House and, in turn, by Penguin Random House. It is a separate imprint established in 1977 under the editorship of author Lester del Rey and his wife Judy-Lynn del Rey. It specializes in science fiction and fantasy books, and formerly manga under its (now defunct) Del Rey Manga imprint. The first new novel published by Del Rey was ''The Sword of Shannara'' by Terry Brooks in 1977. Del Rey also publishes the ''Star Wars'' novels under the LucasBooks sub-imprint (licensed from Lucasfilm, a subsidiary of The Walt Disney Studios division of The Walt Disney Company). Authors *Piers Anthony *Isaac Asimov * Stephen Baxter *Amber Benson *Ray Bradbury *Terry Brooks *Pierce Brown *Bonnie Burton *Jack L. Chalker * Arthur C. Clarke * James Clemens *Dan Cragg * Brian Daley * Maurice G. Dantec * Philip K. Dick * Stephen R. Donaldson *David Eddings *Philip José Farmer *Mick Farren * Joe Clifford Faust *Lynn Flewellin ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
A Guide To The Star Wars Universe
''A Guide to the Star Wars Universe'' is a reference book based on the '' Star Wars'' franchise published by Del Rey. The first edition was published in 1984 and written by Raymond L. Velasco. It is 215 pages long and contains roughly 951 entries. A second edition was published in 1994, written by Bill Slavicsek Bill Slavicsek is a game designer who served as the Director of Roleplaying Design and Development at Wizards of the Coast. He previously worked for West End Games and TSR, Inc., and designed products for ''Dungeons & Dragons'', '' Star Wars'', .... It is 495 pages long, and the publisher's summary claims that it contains 50% new material. Slavicsek later also produced a third edition in 2000, which is 596 pages long and incorporates elements from '' Episode I: The Phantom Menace'' (1999). The books alphabetically detail fictional people, places, things, and events in the ''Star Wars'' Expanded Universe. Most of the entries are quite short, with the longest being jus ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Randy Post
Randy "rk" Post is an illustrator of fantasy publications. Background Post was raised in Illinois on a farm. Post has done freelance work for TSR, including ''Red Steel'', ''Cutthroats of Lankhmar'', and '' Spells & Magic''. Post garnered a full-time staff illustration position at TSR in September 1996, painting cover illustrations for games and novels. Post soon began working on two projects: the Planescape setting for the ''Dungeons & Dragons'' game, and the new ''Alternity'' science fiction role-playing game. Post has worked on games and game lines such as ''Planescape'', ''Deadlands'', ''Alternity'', ''Star Wars'', and ''Vampire''. Career TSR was purchased by Wizards of the Coast soon after Post was hired. Post had the opportunity to illustrate cards for ''Magic: the Gathering'', and also painted covers for ''Dungeon'' magazine. WotC and Post parted for ways in the winter of 2000 and he now doubles as a full-time freelance illustrator still contracting occasional assignme ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Jim Butler (game Designer)
Jim Butler is a game designer who has worked primarily on role-playing games. Career Butler was the brand manager of the ''Alternity'' role-playing game for Wizards of the Coast. He was part of the ''Alternity'' team with Bill Slavicsek, Rich Baker, Kim Mohan Kim Rudolph Mohan (May 4, 1949 – December 12, 2022) was an American author, editor and game designer best known for works related to the ''Dungeons & Dragons'' role-playing game. Early life and education Kim Mohan was born in Chicago, Illinoi ..., David Eckelberry, and rk post. In 2000, Butler announced the cancellation of the ''Alternity'' and '' SAGA'' lines in an open letter. His design work for ''D&D'' includes '' The Sword of the Dales'' (1995), '' The Secret of Spiderhaunt'' (1995), '' The Return of Randal Morn'' (1995), '' AD&D Dungeon Master Screen & Master Index'' (1995), '' Netheril: Empire of Magic'' (1996), and '' Cormanthyr: Empire of the Elves'' (1998). References External links * {{DEFAULTSO ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Kim Mohan
Kim Rudolph Mohan (May 4, 1949 – December 12, 2022) was an American author, editor and game designer best known for works related to the ''Dungeons & Dragons'' role-playing game. Early life and education Kim Mohan was born in Chicago, Illinois, on May 4, 1949. His family moved to Williams Bay, Wisconsin, when he was five. In high school, he became an avid science-fiction and fantasy reader, and also played wargames. He graduated third in his class and enrolled at Beloit College. However, he couldn't find a focus, switching majors several times from philosophy to mathematics and other subjects. Career Reporter Not finding what he needed at college, Mohan dropped out and decided to be a writer, finding a job as a reporter for Lake Geneva Regional News. After a few months, he joined the staff of the Beloit Daily News. Over nine years, Mohan worked as everything from a sports writer, an editorial writer, the state editor, and the wire service editor. After nine years, he left the ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
The Deva Spark
''The Deva Spark'' is an adventure module for the 2nd edition of the ''Advanced Dungeons & Dragons'' fantasy role-playing game. Plot summary ''The Deva Spark'' is a 32-page scenario for the Planescape setting. Publication history ''The Deva Spark'' was written by Bill Slavicsek and J.M. Salsbury, and published by TSR, Inc. Reception Rick Swan Rick Swan is a game designer and author who worked for TSR. His work for TSR, mostly for Advanced Dungeons & Dragons, appeared from 1989 to 1995. Swan also wrote ''The Complete Guide to Role-Playing Games'' (1990), published by St. Martin's Pr ... reviewed ''The Deva Spark'' for '' Dragon'' magazine #218 (June 1995). He commented that: "Nothing aggravates me more than an RPG adventure with a flabby climax; after slogging through a book's worth of fight scenes and dungeon crawls, I want to be dazzled. So bravo to ''The Deva Spark''". Swan concluded by saying: "The final chapter is a knock-out, a sensational blend of surreal characte ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Planescape
''Planescape'' is a campaign setting for the ''Dungeons & Dragons'' fantasy role-playing game, designed by Zeb Cook, and published in 1994. It crosses numerous planes of existence, encompassing an entire cosmology called the Great Wheel, as developed previously in the 1987 ''Manual of the Planes'' by Jeff Grubb. This includes many of the other ''Dungeons & Dragons'' worlds, linking them via inter-dimensional magical portals. Publication history Development ''Planescape'' is an expansion of ideas presented in the ''Advanced Dungeons & Dragons'' ''Dungeon Master's Guide'' (First Edition) and the original ''Manual of the Planes''. When ''Advanced Dungeons & Dragons'' 2nd edition was published, a decision was made not to include angelic or demonic creatures, and so the cosmology was largely ignored. However, fan demand for a 2nd Edition ''Manual of the Planes'' was strong enough to justify its expansion into a full-fledged campaign setting, and so in 1994 Planescape was release ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Ravenloft
Ravenloft is a campaign setting for the ''Dungeons & Dragons'' roleplaying game. It is an alternate time-space existence known as a ''Demiplane, pocket dimension'' or demiplane, called the Demiplane of Dread, which consists of a collection of land pieces called "Ravenloft domains, domains", brought together by a mysterious force known only as #The Dark Powers, the Dark Powers. Each domain is tailored to and mystically ruled by a being called a Darklord (Ravenloft), Darklord who is forever trapped and surrounded by magical mists surrounding the domain. Strahd von Zarovich, a vampire in the original ''AD&D'' ''Ravenloft'' I6 module 1983, became the first Darklord, both ruler and prisoner of his own personal domain of Barovia. How Count von Zarovich became the darklord of Barovia was detailed in the novel ''I, Strahd: The Memoirs of a Vampire''. As originally established in the ''Ravenloft: Realm of Terror'' boxed set known as "the Black Box" released in 1990, the Ravenloft campaign ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
The Nightmare Lands
''The Nightmare Lands'' is an accessory for the 2nd edition of the ''Advanced Dungeons & Dragons'' fantasy role-playing game, published in 1995. Contents The mist-shrouded netherworld of the Nightmare Lands lies on the borders of Ravenloft's Demiplane of Dread. Here, the Nightmare Court seeks out and traps dreamers in "dreamscapes", where their secret feelings are amplified to intolerable proportions so that the Court can feed on their fears. Such dreamers are mentally assaulted nightly, and rapidly become insane unless the Nightmare being conducting the torture can be defeated. ''The Nightmare Lands'' includes four books: "Book One: Journal of Doctor Illhousen", "Book Two: Rules of Dreams and Nightmares", "Book Three: Book of Nightmares" and the "Monstrous Supplement". The "Journal of Doctor Illhousen" introduced players to the concept of Nightmare adventures, and tells them how to reach the Nightmare Lands - both physically and as dream beings - in order to aid those held by ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
