Friday 10 September 2010

Ken St. Andre is a living legend



It's a harsh and painful reality that we can will no longer see Gary Gygax or Dave Arneson again. To us these imaginative men are the cornerstone of our noble hobby - they were legends in life and legends in death. The thought of the possibilty of meeting Gary or Dave was enough to make any roleplayer dizzy with excitement and now there is no chance of speaking to them is saddening in the deepest sense.

However, some people forget that one of, if not the biggest inspiration in roleplaying games still walks among us; his massive troll feet creating tiny earthquakes wherever he roams. I am of course referring to the Trollgod himself, Ken St. Andre.

Most people reading this blog will already know who this fine gentletroll is. For those who came in late, Ken is the creator of Tunnels and Trolls as well as a slew of other games. A retired librarian, Ken created arguably created the second ever roleplaying game (and some, such as myself, would say the best).

Having been acquainted with Ken myself, I can affirm the opinions of many who say that he is a kind, funny and charismatic guy who always has the time to speak with his fans. Granted, and Ken would testify, he doesn't have the gargantuan fanbase that Gygax had, but Ken's followers are some of the best roleplayers and people you could meet. He really likes to get in with T&T fanatics, being one himself, and talk openly and candidly with them. This is a special trait for a game designer to possess and one that few nowadays can honestly say they have.

I encourage everyone reading this to do one thing. Write to Ken with your thanks for doing what he does. Tell him that you appreciate his work. Write a blog post about your first T&T session, or about the time you met Ken at a convention.

Thanks Ken. You're a hero and an inspiration. Long may you be rule Trollworld.

Awesome picture belongs to the equally awesome Atroll
.

2 comments:

  1. Nice post. I'm really hoping I get a chance to meet, or even game with, Ken some day.

    ReplyDelete
  2. I agree wholeheartedly. Ken's work on T&T, Stormbringer, and Wasteland helped define gaming.

    ReplyDelete