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Steven E. Schend is a
game designer Game design is the art of applying design and aesthetics to create a game for entertainment or for educational, exercise, or experimental purposes. Increasingly, elements and principles of game design are also applied to other interactions, in ...
and editor who has worked on a number of products for the ''
Dungeons & Dragons ''Dungeons & Dragons'' (commonly abbreviated as ''D&D'' or ''DnD'') is a fantasy tabletop role-playing game (RPG) originally designed by Gary Gygax and Dave Arneson. The game was first published in 1974 by TSR (company)#Tactical Studies Rules ...
''
fantasy Fantasy is a genre of speculative fiction involving Magic (supernatural), magical elements, typically set in a fictional universe and sometimes inspired by mythology and folklore. Its roots are in oral traditions, which then became fantasy ...
role-playing game A role-playing game (sometimes spelled roleplaying game, RPG) is a game in which players assume the roles of player character, characters in a fictional Setting (narrative), setting. Players take responsibility for acting out these roles within ...
from TSR throughout the 1990s.


Biography

Steven Schend was born in
Madison, Wisconsin Madison is the county seat of Dane County and the capital city of the U.S. state of Wisconsin. As of the 2020 census the population was 269,840, making it the second-largest city in Wisconsin by population, after Milwaukee, and the 80th-lar ...
in 1967. Schend developed an interest in the worlds of
L. Frank Baum Lyman Frank Baum (; May 15, 1856 – May 6, 1919) was an American author best known for his children's books, particularly ''The Wonderful Wizard of Oz'' and its sequels. He wrote 14 novels in the ''Oz'' series, plus 41 other novels (not includ ...
's Oz and
Edgar Rice Burroughs Edgar Rice Burroughs (September 1, 1875 – March 19, 1950) was an American author, best known for his prolific output in the adventure, science fiction, and fantasy genres. Best-known for creating the characters Tarzan and John Carter, he ...
's
Barsoom Barsoom is a fictional representation of the planet Mars created by American pulp fiction author Edgar Rice Burroughs. The first Barsoom tale was serialized as ''Under the Moons of Mars'' in 1912 and published as a novel as ''A Princess of Mars' ...
. Schend grew up in
Kenosha, Wisconsin Kenosha () is a city in the U.S. state of Wisconsin and the seat of Kenosha County. Per the 2020 census, the population was 99,986 which made it the fourth-largest city in Wisconsin. Situated on the southwestern shore of Lake Michigan, Kenos ...
, and started gaming in high school; he attended college in Madison, and graduated with a degree in English in 1989. He previously worked as a teacher, a street sweeper, a concrete curb builder and a landscaper before gaining employment in fantasy. TSR hired Schend as a Games Department editor in early 1990, and he also managed the original '' Marvel Super Heroes'' RPG line: "I started working on Marvel pretty much the day I walked in the door". At TSR, Schend also worked on the
Forgotten Realms ''Forgotten Realms'' is a campaign setting for the ''Dungeons & Dragons'' (''D&D'') fantasy role-playing game. Commonly referred to by players and game designers alike as "The Realms", it was created by game designer Ed Greenwood around 1967 as a ...
setting. "Most of all, I'm proud of my body of work within the Realms. So much of it ties together that it's hard to pick favorites. If I had to, I'd choose the... ''Sea of Fallen Stars'' accessory as the most original world-building I've ever done." Schend and
Julia Martin Julia Martin is a game designer and editor who has worked on a number of products for the ''Dungeons & Dragons'' fantasy roleplaying game. Career Julia Martin worked for Game Designers' Workshop until she left in 1991 to work for TSR. Martin wor ...
served as the continuity monitors for the Realms, and Schend also served as the assistant manager to the Realms product group for three years before returning to full-time design work in 1998. Schend then began working on the ''
Alternity ''Alternity'' is a science fiction role-playing game (RPG) published by TSR in 1998. Following the acquisition of TSR by Wizards of the Coast, the game was discontinued in 2000 as part of a broader rationalisation of TSR's business holdings, b ...
'' game line and the ''
Star*Drive ''Star Drive'' (stylized as ''Star*Drive'') is a science fiction campaign setting that was published in 1998 by TSR, Inc. for the ''Alternity'' role-playing game. The first published setting for ''Alternity'' was provided in the ''Star Drive Campa ...
'' setting. Schend worked for over fifteen years with TSR, Inc.,
Wizards of the Coast Wizards of the Coast LLC (often referred to as WotC or simply Wizards) is an American publisher of games, primarily based on fantasy and List of science fiction themes, science fiction themes, and formerly an operator of retail stores for ga ...
, and other game companies as an editor, a designer, an assistant manager, and world builder. As a game designer and editor he has worked for TSR, Inc.,
Wizards of the Coast Wizards of the Coast LLC (often referred to as WotC or simply Wizards) is an American publisher of games, primarily based on fantasy and List of science fiction themes, science fiction themes, and formerly an operator of retail stores for ga ...
, Bastion Press,
Green Ronin Green Ronin Publishing is an American company based in Seattle, Washington. Founded in 2000 by Chris Pramas and Nicole Lindroos, they have published several role-playing game–related products. They won several awards for their games including ...
, and
Goodman Games Goodman Games is an American game publisher best known for the ''Dungeon Crawl Classics'' series of adventure modules and role-playing game, the ''Dragonmech'' role-playing game, and the ''Etherscope'' role-playing games. The company produced l ...
. He later worked as an adult instructor of World Building for Writers and Game & Adventure Design workshops/seminars; also teaching college classes at various venues, including
Kendall College of Art and Design Kendall College of Art and Design of Ferris State University (KCAD) is a college of art and design located in downtown Grand Rapids, Michigan. Founded in 1928 as a private art academy, the college merged with Ferris State University in 2000. Off ...
. He claims his favorite role is as spokesperson for the denizens of the Forgotten Realms. Schend has taught writing at a local college in
Grand Rapids, Michigan Grand Rapids is a city and county seat of Kent County, Michigan, Kent County in the U.S. state of Michigan. At the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, the city had a population of 198,917 which ranks it as the List of municipalities in Mi ...
. Schend works as a bookseller, and also writes novels, novellas, and short stories from the Forgotten Realms to his own contemporary fantasies. He has also worked on a novel in his "Vanguard" universe and a non-fiction World-Building book for writers.


Works

Steven Schend worked on several ''Dungeons & Dragons'' game products from 1990-2001. His design work includes several products for the
Forgotten Realms ''Forgotten Realms'' is a campaign setting for the ''Dungeons & Dragons'' (''D&D'') fantasy role-playing game. Commonly referred to by players and game designers alike as "The Realms", it was created by game designer Ed Greenwood around 1967 as a ...
line, such as '' City of Splendors: Waterdeep'' (1994), '' Undermountain: Maddgoth's Castle'' (1996), '' Undermountain: The Lost Level'' (1996), ''Lands of Intrigue'' (1997), ''Hellgate Keep'' (1998), ''Cormanthyr: Empire of the Elves'' (1998), ''Wyrmskull Throne'' (1999), ''Skullport'' (1999), and ''Sea of Fallen Stars'' (1999). Schend also did some work for Bastion Press and
Green Ronin Publishing Green Ronin Publishing is an American company based in Seattle, Washington. Founded in 2000 by Chris Pramas and Nicole Lindroos, they have published several role-playing game–related products. They won several awards for their games includin ...
. His Forgotten Realms novels include ''Blackstaff'' (2006) and ''Blackstaff Tower'' (2008).


References


External links

*
Official website
* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Schend, Steven 1967 births 20th-century American male writers 20th-century American novelists 21st-century American male writers 21st-century American novelists American male novelists Dungeons & Dragons game designers Living people Novelists from Wisconsin