Theron O. Kuntz (born December 25, 1953,
Fort Atkinson, Wisconsin
Fort Atkinson is a city in Jefferson County, Wisconsin, Jefferson County, Wisconsin, United States. It is on the Rock River (Illinois), Rock River, a few miles upstream from Lake Koshkonong. The population was 12,579 at the 2020 census. Fort Atkins ...
) 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 ...
who was an early associate of
Gary Gygax
Ernest Gary Gygax ( ; July 27, 1938 – March 4, 2008) was an American game designer and author best known for co-creating the pioneering role-playing game ''Dungeons & Dragons'' (''D&D'') with Dave Arneson.
In the 1960s, Gygax created an ...
and employee of
TSR.
Biography
Kuntz was born in
Fort Atkinson, Wisconsin
Fort Atkinson is a city in Jefferson County, Wisconsin, Jefferson County, Wisconsin, United States. It is on the Rock River (Illinois), Rock River, a few miles upstream from Lake Koshkonong. The population was 12,579 at the 2020 census. Fort Atkins ...
on December 25, 1953. His family moved to
Lake Geneva, Wisconsin
Lake Geneva is a city in the U.S. state of Wisconsin. Located in Walworth County and situated on Geneva Lake, it is home to an estimated 8,105 people as of 2019, up from 7,651 at the 2010 census. It is located about 40 miles southwest of Milwa ...
in 1955.
Kuntz became involved in
miniatures wargaming when he was 15 years old, learning about them from his brother
Rob, who played miniatures and
board game
Board games are tabletop games that typically use . These pieces are moved or placed on a pre-marked board (playing surface) and often include elements of table, card, role-playing, and miniatures games as well.
Many board games feature a comp ...
s with his new friend
Gary Gygax
Ernest Gary Gygax ( ; July 27, 1938 – March 4, 2008) was an American game designer and author best known for co-creating the pioneering role-playing game ''Dungeons & Dragons'' (''D&D'') with Dave Arneson.
In the 1960s, Gygax created an ...
. The three of them would play miniatures battles at Gygax's house on his sand table.
Kuntz was also a member of the
Lake Geneva Tactical Studies Association The Lake Geneva Tactical Studies Association (LGTSA) was a prominent wargaming club active in Lake Geneva, Wisconsin during the early 1970s.
History
At its inception around February and March 1970, it was originally known as the Lake Geneva Tact ...
with Gygax and his brother.
In the early 1970s, Terry, Rob, and Gygax's friend
Don Kaye
Donald R. Kaye (June 27, 1938 – January 31, 1975) was the co-founder of Tactical Studies Rules (TSR), the game publishing company best known for their ''Dungeons & Dragons'' (''D&D'') role-playing game. He and TSR co-founder Gary Gygax had be ...
joined Gygax's children Ernie and Elise for the second session of Gygax's new game, 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 ...
. Don Kaye played
Murlynd
This is a list of deities from the Greyhawk campaign setting (Dungeons & Dragons), campaign setting for the ''Dungeons & Dragons'' fantasy role-playing game.
A
Al'Akbar
Al'Akbar is the Baklunish demigod of dignity, duty, faithfulness, and gua ...
, Rob Kuntz played
Robilar
This is a list of characters from the Greyhawk campaign setting for the '' Dungeons & Dragons'' fantasy role-playing game.
A
Acererak
Acererak was a powerful wizard who became a lich, and later a demilich.
Publication history
Acer ...
, and Terry Kuntz played Terik.
Terry later conceived of the monster known as the
beholder, and Gygax later detailed it for publication.
Kuntz also created the magic weapon, the Energy-draining Sword.
Kuntz graduated from college in 1974, with a vocational diploma in mechanical drafting and design, but found it hard to find employment in that field.
During 1974,
TSR offered Kuntz employment with the company to help design rules, games, and to manage The Dungeon Hobby Shop. He joined TSR in 1975.
Early designs
* Castle Greyhawk Campaign proto-RPG development
* "Wargaming: A Moral Issue?" for ''
Dragon
A dragon is a reptilian legendary creature that appears in the folklore of many cultures worldwide. Beliefs about dragons vary considerably through regions, but dragons in western cultures since the High Middle Ages have often been depicted as ...
'' magazine
* ''The Maze of Zayene'' D&D module
* ''The Empire of Zothar'' D&D-variant constructed nation
* ''Twilight of the Gods'' boardgame
* ''Treasure Search'' boardgame (lost)
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Kuntz, Terry
1953 births
American game designers
Living people
People from Fort Atkinson, Wisconsin