OD&D Rob Kuntz Licenses RPG Materials For 1E & 5E

Rob Kuntz has licensed his library of RPG work -- including his original Grehawk Castle levels (from 1974) -- to Paul Stormberg's companies, TLB Games and Legends of Roleplaying.

Also available for licensing to companies interested in making 5E version of them are other materials, including Castle El Raja Key (which was a dungeon used in the OD&D playtests back in 1973-74).

 PRESS RELEASE

---

The RJK Estate recently entered into an agreement with TLB Games ( TLBGames.com ) and Legends of Role Playing ( LegendsofRolePlaying.com ) --both owned and operated by Paul Stormberg--wherein the latter acquired the rights to publish and/or develop under oversight my large library of RPG published and unpublished RPG materials for OSRIC®/1st Edition. The agreement included the right to publish/develop my original Greyhawk Castle Levels, circa 1974 that were used in the play-test of the original D&D game with my mentor and co-DM, Gary Gygax.

The RJK Estate is seeking to license these titles and many of its other RPG materials not included in the above licensing agreement, to established companies interested in producing these for 5th Edition. This would include access to Original Greyhawk Castle levels and to the first rendition of Castle El Raja Key (the second castle-dungeon used for the play-test of the original D&D game, 1973-1974), among many other published and unpublished titles.

Inquiries should be e-mailed to: rjk.estate@orange.fr

 

[Rob Kuntz]

Thank you very much, good sir.
I will post this link to my friends elsewhere. .

No thanks needed. It's always my pleasure to help a fellow 'Terranan'...

 

[MNblockhead]

I love Troll Lord Games & Goodman Games, but I think I'd like to Goodman get this license.

Agree. They've proven their ability to create high-quality homages to classic materials, updated for 5e.

 

[Geoff Thirlwell]

Is there any chance of combining Rob and Gary’s work? Would love to see something special for the 50th anniversary. Would make a brilliant collectors item. There could be a polished 5e version for the modern audience and an old school version for us old people. Maybe I’m dreaming but the 50th seems like a now or never opportunity for a definitive Castle Greyhawk

 

[Rob Kuntz]

Is there any chance of combining Rob and Gary’s work? Would love to see something special for the 50th anniversary. Would make a brilliant collectors item. There could be a polished 5e version for the modern audience and an old school version for us old people. Maybe I’m dreaming but the 50th seems like a now or never opportunity for a definitive Castle Greyhawk

A rather sticky subject, and one that does not depend only upon my POV.

The matter has been raked over time and again; and I will not go into the many years-worth of details here; but unless the Gygax Estate moves from their oppositional view on such cooperation, I don't see this transpiring.

I am the only one living who can describe the entire castle, Gary's intents as well as mine for it, the notes, ecology, history, the adventures into it, in whole, the holistic design and its essence in total; as well as having a 40% material share in it. This would be considered a positive circumstance under normal conditions, but that is not the sum that I and many others vested in the outcome have garnered in return. This sluices into what is transpiring as a whole with Gary's literary estate and is, in two words, a tragedy.

If folks want a completist picture from those times my Castle El Raja Key--used in the playtests of D&D and where Gary adventured with Mordenkainen, Yrag and Bigby; wherein adventured Terik (Terry Kuntz) and Merrlynd (Don Kaye), is the path for that. When Gary and I "merged" our campaigns (note: The First Living Campaign )

many of my materials, including levels, magic,gods, monsters, spells, etc. (many which would end up in the supplements and the DMG, etc.)
were merged into the second Caste design by us. So, Castle El Raja Key predates the 2nd Castle Greyhawk and is in fact, in some cases, the same (Lake Level, Machine Level, Temple of the Latter Day Elder Ons, etc.).

1st Castle Greyhawk Levels for Playtesting (Gygax): Late 72-early 73: Total 13 levels. Final.
Castle El Raja Key Levels used for Playtesting (Kuntz): Mid-Late January of 1973: Total 13 levels plus Castle Grounds, still expanding when parts were sluiced into CGH2.
2nd Castle Greyhawk (Gygax & Kuntz): Late 1973; Total of 50 levels and still expanding when TSR projects for both of us buried further design work on it.

There you go.

RJK

 

[Rob Kuntz]

I want to thank Morrus for giving me an opportunity here. There's been some inquiries! It's heartening to know that those who helped start this are still appreciated; and since "I'm not dead yet" (Monty Python) but still designing and writing away. Now for something not so completely different as I head back to Krazor the Mad's Salt Mines for the day.

 

[Rob Kuntz]

OK. Due to some recurring (and answered) questions from the inquiries I am going to clarify what has been licensed (for 1E only) and what is available for licensing for 5E. I hope that this will dispel any slight confusion in the matter.

1) Paul Stormberg has licensed rights for 23 products for 1E only publication with options for more; this included my Original Castle Greyhawk Levels and select published works.

2) This licensing did not specifically include Castle El Raja Key, World of Kalibruhn and its other adjunct materials, the 2nd version of Castle El Raja Key (yes there are two Castle El Raja Keys just as there are two versions of Castle Greyhawk) and did not include all other RPG works, published or unpublished, which were not licensed. The option to license World of Kalibruhn and Castle El Raja Key were, up front, not on the table for 1E publication.

3) There is no exclusivity clause between TLB/LORP and the RJK Estate other than what exists for licensed titles to be published for OSRIC/1E. What is being produced for 1E can be produced for 5E; World of Kalibruhn and Castle El Raja Key (and similar/adjunct products/IP) are, as of now, destined for 5E venues only.

4) A good starting point (but by NO MEANS a comprehensive one) for understanding the scope of the estate's RPG holdings would be to study the El Raja Key Archive DVD (TLB Games, 2016). See samples below.

5) Yes. The RJK Estate requires that prospective licensors sign a straightforward Confidentiality/NDA agreement.

6) Yes. The estate's single (stand alone) properties can be licensed; however, such properties as the "Castle Greyhawk Levels" are considered "single stand alone properties."

I believe that this will help expedite the matter in total. It was not my original intent to use the news announcement as a platform for the above, so consider this my "last word on the matter" FAQ.