GT-Preview1-Intervie

Goodman Interview: Grimtooth & Friends by Jim Wampler Candid conversations with the chaotic crew that devised hundreds of deadly and diabolical traps guaranteed to scare the plate mail off even the most seasoned of dungeon delvers. hey, I can admit when I'm wrong Rick Loomis - I came home and asked Ken if I Founder Flying Buffalo could publish it. Goodman Games: So, let's start with a brief history recap: you Shortly afterwards, another founded Flying Buffalo in 1970, friend of Ken's, Steve McAllister, initially to facilitate a new play- in a conversation right after a by-mail game that you had writ- local science fiction convention, ten called Nuclear Destruction. suggested that someone should You incorporated the company make an RPG adventure like a later in 1972, and later still, even "programmed text." I probably purchased a micro-computer should explain that: back in the (before such a thing as personal 70's there was a fad in education computers even existed) in order called programmed texts. The to run your game so that you textbook would present a prob- D&D rules. Tell us how that led could play yourself. So Flying lem: "What is 7 minus 3? If your to Tunnels & Trolls (T&T), the Buffalo started out as the world's answer is 10, turn to page world's second published fantasy first play-by-mail game company? twelve. If your answer is 4, turn role playing game. to page fifteen." If you turned to Rick Loomis: I bought the com- page twelve, it would say: "No, puter so that I could handle as RL: Ken had borrowed a copy of sorry, you added instead of sub- many customers as would sign D&D from an employee of mine, tracted. Now go back to page up for my game. Those MMOG's read through it in an evening, one and try again." If you turned that are so popular with millions and decided it was too compli- to page fifteen, it would say: of players? That is exactly what I cated and "not done right." He "Yes, congratulations, you sub- had in mind back in 1972 when I invented his own RPG, and tracted correctly. Now here is bought the computer. If I only played it with his friends, then your next problem." He thought had 100 customers, I could run printed 100 copies to sell to his it would be interesting if the everything by hand. But I knew friends. He knew I was going to book could lead you through an that would never make enough the Origins game convention in adventure that way. I agreed and money. The idea, and hope, was Baltimore and brought me his immediately went home and to handle thousands, and possi- last 40 copies and asked me to wrote Buffalo Castle, which was bly millions. Yes, there were sell them at the convention. I the very first solo adventure for other people running Diplomacy knew this was a stupid idea - the any RPG. It was in 1975, before games by mail, but I was the first game had no board, no counters, any of those Choose Your Own person to do it for a living, and no one "wins" at the end. No Adventure or Fighting Fantasy instead of a hobby. one would want this nonsense. books. Then Ken quickly wrote But Ken was a friend and I didn't "Deathtrap Equalizer Dungeon" GG: Then in 1975 a very young want to hurt his feelings. I figured and "Naked Doom" and solo Ken St. Andre approached you I'd take them to Origins, put adventures became T&T's niche. to sell a game that he had written them on the corner of the table, primarily out of frustration with and then when no one bought GG: In 1981, Flying Buffalo con- trying to understand the original them, I could tell Ken I tried. But tinued to pioneer the burgeoning to my surprise I sold all 40. So page 5 RPG market by publishing the in a dungeon, after all. Is it the with all the Traps books, it was as Catalyst series of system-neutral pure insidious nature of each and much or more a writing job as an role playing supplements. How every trap? The humorous editing job, as we never had did that come about and what approach of the books? Or being enough submissions to fill out a made you decide to go with a such a collaborative effort with given book, and most of what we system-neutral approach? It's a dozens of contributors, did the received had to be heavily re- common practice now, but not whole concept simply metamor- written. back then... phose into something greater than any of the individual parts? GG: What was it like trying to RL: D&D was obviously a huge ride herd on such a diverse and market, much bigger than T&T, and RL: I'm not really sure. I suspect it highly creative group of contribu- we wanted something we could was because Paul O'Connor, the tors? Did you feel like the lone sell to all those game players. first editor, decided to go with Lawful Good guy at a Chaotic humor. It's like you and Neutral rave party? GG: Although the Catalyst series Grimtooth getting together and went on to include adventures, laughing about how you and he PRO'C: It was more like being campaign settings, and treasure are going to terrorize that poor, Sauron among the Hobbits. On and magic books, the very first hapless adventurer. Humor is dif- the first Traps book, I had plenty Catalyst series book was ficult to bring off properly, and of old Buffalo pros (chiefly Mike Grimtooth's Traps. How did that Paul did it just right. People don't Stackpole and Larry DiTillio, come about and why a book fea- just buy the books to get trap though all the staff pitched in) to turing just dungeon traps? ideas. They are always telling me create content, sometimes under they just love reading them. multiple names, but with every RL: Other folks had published instance of Traps the books were books of spells, monsters and largely written by the "editors," treasure. I wanted to publish Paul Ryan O'Connor with most fan-submissions being something no one else was Editor, Grimtooth's Traps heavily edited or re-written. Artist doing, and at the time no one Steve Crompton was also heavily else had done a book of traps. involved on the creative side, often taking crazy notes and GG: At what point did you real- making them into working traps ize that you had a massive hit on that were then written and your hands - one that would "designed" to fit his very fine illus- eventually lead to a series of trations. eight books? I was always happy to award RL: We released Grimtooth's Traps credit to the fans - that was half at the San Jose Origins Convention the fun of these books - but for and sold over 100 copies at $10 the most part, the books were each. That was our best Origins up written by staff, and in this to that point, and we were very regard, I have to thank Liz pleased. After the convention, I Danforth for letting me lead the heard from other publishers that it Traps project. She handed me had been a terrible Origins - sales the assignment when I was a were awful. When I discovered Goodman Games: You were the teenager and let me see it how bad everyone else's sales had editor on Grimtooth's Traps, through with minimal oversight. I been, I realized we had a hit on Grimtooth's Traps Too, and will always be in her debt for the our hands. Grimtooth Traps Lite (tell me if I trust she afforded me with this missed anything)? series. GG: On that same note - what do you think gives these books such Paul Ryan O'Connor: I'm pretty GG: The Grimtooth's Traps enduring popularity? These books sure I edited Traps Ate and Traps books are full of solid gold game are all basically about how to kill Lite, too, as a freelancer for Rick, content with the traps alone, but player characters more efficiently well after I left Flying Buffalo. As starting almost immediately with page 6 Traps Too, the books began to would limit our market and player characters did it kill? include metacontent, like cross- pushed for a generic approach. PRO'C: The Infamous Wheel word puzzles and even a In this, Traps was part of a wave Trap, of course, which as part of Grimtooth comic. Whose idea of products reacting to the dom- my editor's prerogative I gave the was all of that madness? inance of Dungeons & Dragons, lead-off spot in the first Traps a kind of precursor to the more book. It must have killed dozens PRO'C: I left Buffalo during pro- formal Open Game License pro- - hundreds? - of characters. We duction of Traps Too, so you'd gram that later publishers would used to splash a lot of blood in my have to ask Liz or Mike or Pat use. I don't think we were the games. The guys wouldn't even Mueller about their thinking, but first to do generic (that was prob- name their characters until they'd I expect it was a mixture of their ably Judges' Guild) but along gotten through the wheel room desire to stretch the genre, of a with Chaosium we really pushed (and the decapitating roller coaster dearth of ready traditional traps that form forward.

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