Richard Snider
Born(1953-08-29)29 August 1953
Albuquerque, New Mexico
Died17 November 2009(2009-11-17) (aged 56)
Mint Hill, North Carolina
NationalityAmerican
Occupation(s)Game designer, author

Richard Leonard Snider (August 29, 1953–November 17, 2009) was a game designer who worked primarily on role-playing games.

Early life and introduction to role-playing games

Richard Snider was born to Leonard and Elizabeth Snider, one of ten children, in Albuquerque, New Mexico.[1] After moving to Minnesota, he and his brother John joined the Midwest Military Simulation Association gaming group, where he met Dave Arneson, David Wesely, Ken Fletcher, Dave Megarry, and others.[2] Snider was also one of the players in Arneson's original Blackmoor group.[3]: 177  He contributed many suggestions for rule revisions and additions, and Arneson dedicated an entire section of his The First Fantasy Campaign, published by Judges Guild in 1977, to Snider's contributions.

Career

In 1974, Richard's brother John designed Star Probe, a science fiction role-playing game that was published by TSR. In 1977, Richard, John, Brian Blume and Greg Svenson co-authored an expansion to Star Probe titled Star Empires, also published by TSR.

In 1978, Snider coauthored the role-playing game Adventures in Fantasy with Arneson, published by Excalibre Games and then through Arneson's company Adventure Games.[3]: 39  In 1981, Snider also contributed to Chaosium's Thieves' World.[3]: 85 

Snider then designed a role-playing game for Avalon Hill titled Powers & Perils. It was scheduled for release at Origins 1983; instead the convention was filled with empty demo rooms where the game was to have appeared, and the game was not released until early in 1984.[3]: 177  In addition to designing two supplements for Powers & Perils and the adventure Tower of the Dead[4] that were all released in 1984 by Avalon Hill, Snider also authored several supplemental articles that appeared in Avalon Hill's shortlived role-playing game magazine Heroes, including the adventure Doom Manor.[5] Sporting a much higher price tag than industry powerhouse Dungeons & Dragons, Powers & Perils languished, and Avalon Hill dropped the project in 1985.[6]

Snider became a self-employed landscaper,[1] and also wrote several novels, although only one, The Leather Rose, was published.

References

  1. 1 2 "ObituaryRichard Leonard Snider". mem.com. Dignity Memorial. 19 November 2009. Retrieved 2021-10-15.
  2. ↑ Midwest Area Gaming Enthusiasts
  3. 1 2 3 4 Shannon Appelcline (2011). Designers & Dragons. Mongoose Publishing. ISBN 978-1-907702-58-7.
  4. ↑ "Powers & Perils (1984)". rpggeek.com. Retrieved 2021-10-15.
  5. ↑ "Articles about P&P from Heroes". powersandperils.org. Retrieved 2021-10-15.
  6. ↑ "Powers & Perils". Guide du Rôliste Galactique (in French). 2009-05-08. Retrieved 2021-10-15.
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