D&D General When D&D Co-Creator Dave Arneson Asked WotC For A Job!

Back in 1997, after WotC had purchased the failing TSR (and D&D), and just prior to the launch of D&D 3E, Dave Arneson -- who co-created D&D in the 1970s along with Gary Gygax -- wrote to WotC president Peter Adkison asking to be put in charge of TSR.

Ben Riggs -- author of Slaying the Dragon -- discovered Arneson's letter to Adkison while researching his history of D&D.

Newly Discovered Letters Reveal D&D's Co-Creator Asked to be put in Charge of D&D in 1997 and it Did Not Go Well — Ben Riggs

While writing my book, Slaying the Dragon , I discovered a number of fascinating historical documents hidden from public view until now. Over the coming months, I’m going to be sharing some of these captivating documents with you. The first is a 1997 letter from D&D co-creator Dave Ar

www.writerbenriggs.com

The letter was full of typos -- Arneson even got Adkison's name wrong! According to Riggs, Adkison did not reply, and Arneson wrote to him a second time.

 

[David Howery]

Now I'm anxious about the 2nd letter where he laid out what he would do with the game... Cringe coming!

I'm reminded of his "Adventures Unlimited" game, which was apparently supposed to be his idea of 'what D&D should have been." This is one game I'm completely unfamiliar with (not surprising, considering the dismal failure it apparently was). Anyone here ever look at/play AU?

 

[darjr]

I'm reminded of his "Adventures Unlimited" game, which was apparently supposed to be his idea of 'what D&D should have been." This is one game I'm completely unfamiliar with (not surprising, considering the dismal failure it apparently was). Anyone here ever look at/play AU?

I’d very much like too. I wonder who has the rights to it?

 

[darjr]

There is a two part essay by James M. that talks about it a bit at the end of part 2

Who in the World is Dave Arneson?|Goodman Games

goodman-games.com

I’m looking for available reviews from the time.

 

[David Howery]

I’d very much like too. I wonder who has the rights to it?

I was thinking that Arneson's idea to Adkison might have been along the lines of AU, considering that it was already (sorta) finished and done by him and was supposedly his idea of 'proper D&D'. I'm not sure I've ever even seen a copy of AU, although I might have passed by it at Gencon one of the times I was there (of course, there were zillions of games displayed at Gencon every year, so it's not surprising that I didn't notice it)...

 

[Snarf Zagyg]

I'm reminded of his "Adventures Unlimited" game, which was apparently supposed to be his idea of 'what D&D should have been." This is one game I'm completely unfamiliar with (not surprising, considering the dismal failure it apparently was). Anyone here ever look at/play AU?

Are you talking about Adventures in Fantasy?

That was ... well, it was tough. If it had bene released at the same time as OD&D (1974) it might have been okay? By the time it came out, five years later, it was markedly inferior to the other games around it. It was as meandering as the LBBs, but without much else to recommend it (except, IIRC, just having two classes). In addition, like everything Arneson did, it had a co-author who did a good deal of "cleaning up."

 

[David Howery]

Are you talking about Adventures in Fantasy?

That was ... well, it was tough. If it had bene released at the same time as OD&D (1974) it might have been okay? By the time it came out, five years later, it was markedly inferior to the other games around it. It was as meandering as the LBBs, but without much else to recommend it (except, IIRC, just having two classes). In addition, like everything Arneson did, it had a co-author who did a good deal of "cleaning up."

probably, I'm vaguely recalling what I read in The Game Wizards. Was AiF the game and AU the company?
And have you actually seen this game/read the rules? You'd be the first that I know of who did....

 

[darjr]

Wayne’s books had a copy and profiled it!

Adventures in Fantasy (1979): A Post-D&D project for Dave Arneson

Haven’t had a Adventures in Fantasy box set in the shop in years, so I thought this would be a great time to profile the set. The set is “Signed!” – which is super exciting …

waynesbooks.games

 

[Snarf Zagyg]

probably, I'm vaguely recalling what I read in The Game Wizards. Was AiF the game and AU the company?
And have you actually seen this game/read the rules? You'd be the first that I know of who did....

Yeah, I have a thing for old games. When I first encountered it, I didn't know how to place it (or a lot of the history we have now).

Of course, it all makes more sense now. It's ... well, it's a lot like OD&D, take two. It's Arneson, but filtered through a different co-author. You can squint and see some of what the Blackmoor people said about his home game ... but rationalized to a written system. This time, filtered a little more through Snider's "cleaning up."

Fundamentally, Arneson lacked the capacity to translate his gaming to paper. His skills lay in his improvisation, and he lacked the vocabulary to translate that into a system of rules.

 

[Parmandur]

Yeah, I have a thing for old games. When I first encountered it, I didn't know how to place it (or a lot of the history we have now).

Of course, it all makes more sense now. It's ... well, it's a lot like OD&D, take two. It's Arneson, but filtered through a different co-author. You can squint and see some of what the Blackmoor people said about his home game ... but rationalized to a written system. This time, filtered a little more through Snider's "cleaning up."

Fundamentally, Arneson lacked the capacity to translate his gaming to paper. His skills lay in his improvisation, and he lacked the vocabulary to translate that into a system of rules.

Honestly, this letter is probably the best indication of why Arneson was never able to publish anything without significant help.

 

[darjr]

Retrospective: Adventures in Fantasy

Although his name will forever be linked with that of Gary Gygax as one of the co-creators of Dungeons & Dragons , one must not forget that ...

grognardia.blogspot.com