Topic: The original players in Blackmoor (Read 2,472 times)
Finarvyn Administrator Dungeon Master member is offline
Joined: Jun 2007 Gender: Male Posts: 4,674 Location: Near Chicago Karma: 178
The original players in Blackmoor « Thread Started on Jan 24, 2008, 9:32pm »
This list isn't complete, but I've been trying to put together as many names as possible from the early campaigns. Keep in mind that in the early days, many character names were a form of the person's actual name (if they were given a name at all). Thus, in Dave's FFC book, characters are often called "Munson" or some such and not always given proper credit. Several of these players are members of this board.
These names were confirmed by Dave Arneson!
Dave Arneson – Referee Malia Arneson-Weinhagen – Thief/Monk Jim Abler – Mage (Evil) Jim Barber – Elf Dave Belfry – Dwarf Scott Belfry Blue Petal – Pre-Blackmoor Mike Carr – Cleric; Bishop Carr; Mi-Kar Larry Bond Steve Dabenspeck Dave Fant – Baron of Blackmoor Kletcher Fletcher – Ranger Giovanna Frengi – Dwarven Battle maid Frederick Paul Funk III – Orc; Funk I King of All Orcs Pete Gaylord – Mage; Wizard of the Woods Phil Grant – Elf Bill Heaton – The Blue Rider; Paladin Harry Holman – Dwarf Duane Jenkins – Vampire-Knight; Sir Jenkins (Dave says: “He wanted to be a vampire, but I kept frustrating him. Hee, hee.”) Rick (Mel) Johnson – Mello; Halfling Tony Kellen Tim Kirkpatrick – Halfling Kurt Krey – First ever Evil Wizard PC of Blackmoor Jim Lafferie – Mage Steve Lortz – Lortz the Dwarf Ross Maker – Dwarf David Megarry Bob Meyer – Robert the Bald Mike Mornard (Dave says: “Mike was actually in my campaign, Gary’s campaign, and Phil Barker’s.”) Chuck Munson Dale Nelson Dan Nicholson – Merchant Martin Noetzel – Elf Walter Oberstar – Oberstar the Dwarf Cliff Olilla – Pre-Blackmoor John Snider – Fighter Richard Snider – Cleric; The Flying Monk * Chuck Soukup: (Dave says: “Nah, just one of the first bad guys.”) * John Soukup – Balrog (Dave says: “Nah, just one of the first bad guys.”) Greg Svenson – Great Svenny; Swenny I, King of All Good; Zvenzon (Dave says: “King?? Certainly the leader of all the good guys.”) Dave Wesley – Half-elf
* The Soukup brothers were added again as per Svenny's comments.
These names were removed from the original list, based on Dave Arneson’s comments! Mike Belfry (Dave says: “Mike?”) Mike Norman (Dave says: “Mike never played, although he was in the group.”) Greg Scott -- Egg of Coot (Dave says: “No, he never played, just a local character I used.”)
Quote:
Internet claim (can someone confirm this?) Joe Vail – Dwarves Frick & Frack; vampire-dwarf slaves the "Fang-ettes" Note: This name was NOT on Dave’s list, either.
These are all of the names I have found so far. Additions and corrections are welcome!
Marv / Finarvyn DCC playtester (2011) C&C playtester (2003) I'm partly responsible for the S&W WhiteBox Builder of the TrollBridge Master of Mutants; MA since 1976 OD&D Player since 1975
"Don't ask me what you need to hit. Just roll the die and I will let you know!" - Dave Arneson
Joined: Dec 2007 Gender: Male Posts: 669 Karma: 35
Re: The original players in Blackmoor « Reply #1 on Jan 24, 2008, 10:34pm »
Oh, dear me. Memory comes back. I played only a couple of times in Blackmoor back in the day (with a hobbit. Dave disliked hobbits; I only got a foot amputated).
Fred Funk, an entirely decent if somewhat eccentric fellow, and a very nice guy to the punk kid I was, played an orc. In fact, he ended up being Funk the 1st, King of All the Orcs, somewhere down the line. And in particular, was responsible for the idea of the Orkian Way (sp?). This was a spiral staircase in Blackmoor dungeon that went from the top to the bottom, and once you entered the staircase, you were unable to find a door to any level EXCEPT at the top and bottom. And there was schmaltzy music playing the entire time you were inside. I seem to recall that every entrance to the Orkian Way was well-lit and marked with an inscription to Funk the 1st, King of All the Orcs.
At the bottom of the Orkian Way, there was a Balrog and an army of monsters ready to turn any player-character into mincemeat. At the top, there was a small room, with a ladder and a hatch. If you climbed the ladder and opened the hatch, you would see blue sky and feel the wind (but you couldn't see down). If you hoisted yourself out of the hatch, you would be teleported to several hundred feet above the lake outside Blackmoor Castle, and dropping into the water. Wearing metal armor was a BAD IDEA, as it would contribute to drowning. You got a chance to get it off before splash-down, and then you had to deal with the large fish that usually greeted your arrival with the same sense of happiness as the sudden breakdown of a Chicken Delight delivery truck in their vicinity.
Some or all of this is in the FFC, if I recall. But a good chunk of it comes from personal (albeit brief) experience.
One last item: "Blue Peal" should be "Blue Petal" a local science fiction fan, who took the idea of D&D back to MinnStF, the Minnesota Science Tiction Fociety (well, that's one way to explain it). This turned into MinnStF "Dungeon" which was popular for quite some time among MinnStF members, including Steven Brust, Pat Wrede, Richard Tatge, Dean Gahlon, David S. Cargo, Pamela Dean and others. "Dungeon" was like D&D but even more lean and decidedly more strange. That's a post for elsewhere, though.
« Last Edit: Jan 24, 2008, 10:39pm by badger2305 »
Re: The original players in Blackmoor « Reply #4 on Jan 25, 2008, 7:44am »
Just how many people registered here are from the original Blackmoor campaign? Maybe they could jointly start a Q&A Thread. Or several Q&A threads. Also any of them they talk to Dave Arneson could let him know in how high a regard many of us hold FFC as a resource for our campaigns.
Joined: Jan 2008 Gender: Male Posts: 108 Location: Clearwater, Florida Karma: 12
Re: The original players in Blackmoor « Reply #5 on Jan 25, 2008, 11:25am »
Boy, I didn't think Svenny was ever the "king" of anything...
One name I notice that is missing from the list is Dave Fant. He was the original Baron of Blackmoor. I don't think that he was ever very active in the group - I can't remember ever going on an adventure with him, but he had a significant role in the the original game.
Fred Funk grew up near me, we were good friends up until I moved away from the Twin Cities. I don't know where he is these days. Fred actually had his orc tribe build the Orcian Way, it was not there when we went on our first adventures in Blackmoor's dungeon...
Mel's (Mello) real name was Rick Johnson. I assume that Johnaon was a typo.
Most of the other guys are not very active on the net, but Bob and I are hoping that we can get them to register here and start posting about some of their memories of the early games in Blackmoor. Bob has had more contact with the other guys than I do, because I moved to Florida while he is still in the Twin Cities. I only have contact with Dave, Bob, and the Sniders these days.
I plan to go over to Orlando to see Dave Arneson tomorrow, so I would be happy to pass on your regards for FFC. I also used it as my primary campaign resource back in the 80's when I was still DMing.
Re: The original players in Blackmoor « Reply #6 on May 22, 2008, 7:44pm »
Mike Belfry (Mike ??)
Duane Jenkins -- Vampire-Knight; Sir Jenkins (He wanted to be a Vampire but I kept frustrating hm. hee hee -Dave)
David Megarry (sp)
Mike Mornard (Mike was actually in my campaign, Gary's campaign annd Phil Barkers!)
Mike Norman (nah Mike never player althpugh he was in the group-Dave)
Greg Scott -- Egg of Coot (No he never played, just a local character I used-Dave)
Chuck Soukup (Nah just one of the first bad guys.-Dave)
John Soukup -- Balrog (Nah just one of the first bad guys.-Dave)
Greg Svenson -- Great Svenny; Swenny I, King (King?? Certainly the leader of all the good guys.-Dave)
------------------- FINARVYN EDIT: What I did was to add Dave's comments to my master list at the top of the thread. Then, I cleaned up Dave's post to get rid of the names for which he had no comment and were unchanged. All I left were his corrections and comments.
No I did not mislike Hobbits or their ilk. Just ask Dustin. Foot amputated ? Boy, I don't recall that one.
Arneson
Then it must have been me (yes, a punk kid at the time). Fred Funk was a night manager for the Holiday Inn in downtown Minneapolis, and several times he secured some function space for gaming when he was mostly supervising and not immediately on call. You came and ran Blackmoor for me, Fred, and a few others.
Joined: Jan 2008 Gender: Male Posts: 108 Location: Clearwater, Florida Karma: 12
Re: The original players in Blackmoor « Reply #10 on May 27, 2008, 10:42am »
The Soukup brothers were actually players in the original campaign. Dave said they "were just one of the first bad guys." John Soukup played the balrog in the first adventure into Blackmoor dungeon and, again as the balrog, joined the good guys in an attack on Fred Funk's orc tribe on the 10th level of Blackmoor dungeon later in the campaign, his balrog character died on that adventure and the Great Svenny had to be dragged out by his companions (down to 0 hp). These are the two adventures I have the clearest memories of from among the 100's (?) I participated in in the early days.
Marv / Finarvyn DCC playtester (2011) C&C playtester (2003) I'm partly responsible for the S&W WhiteBox Builder of the TrollBridge Master of Mutants; MA since 1976 OD&D Player since 1975
"Don't ask me what you need to hit. Just roll the die and I will let you know!" - Dave Arneson
Marv / Finarvyn DCC playtester (2011) C&C playtester (2003) I'm partly responsible for the S&W WhiteBox Builder of the TrollBridge Master of Mutants; MA since 1976 OD&D Player since 1975
"Don't ask me what you need to hit. Just roll the die and I will let you know!" - Dave Arneson
The Soukup brothers were actually players in the original campaign.
Okay. I put their names back onto the main list. You and Dave should compare notes on this.....
Dave and I were not disagreeing, John and Chuck Soukup are both listed as original players in "Dave Arneson's Blackmoor" - the 3.5 Ed Blackmoor campaign source book. I was just saying that you mis-interpreted what Dave was saying. If I remember correctly, they played different bad guys in many adventures, depending on what the good guys were doing. If fact, those two adventures, though they were months apart, are the only times I can recall where John played the balrog. Of course, I didn't make every gaming session, either...
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