Ulrich Kiesow
Encyclopedia
Ulrich Kiesow was the creator of the pen and paper role-playing game
The Dark Eye
and its accompanying universe. Besides contributing to many publications regarding this game, Kiesow used the pseudonym
Andreas Blumenkamp to write satirical articles for the now defunct German roleplaying game magazine Wunderwelten.
Kiesow co-founded Fantasy Productions
in 1983 with Werner Fuchs and Hans Joachim Alpers
. He was the translator of the first German language
editions for both Tunnels & Trolls, which was the first German language RPG rule book, and Dungeons & Dragons
.
Kiesow suffered a severe heart attack in August 1995. While recovering he began to write the Dark Eye novel Das zerbrochene Rad (The broken wheel, a symbol for death in the universe of The Dark Eye). The novel had just completed when Kiesow died of heart failure in his home on January 30, 1997.
Role-playing game
A role-playing game is a game in which players assume the roles of characters in a fictional setting. Players take responsibility for acting out these roles within a narrative, either through literal acting, or through a process of structured decision-making or character development...
The Dark Eye
The Dark Eye
The Dark Eye , is a German role-playing game created by Ulrich Kiesow and launched by Schmidt Spiel & Freizeit GmbH and Droemer Knaur Verlag in 1984. The name literally means "the black eye"...
and its accompanying universe. Besides contributing to many publications regarding this game, Kiesow used the pseudonym
Pseudonym
A pseudonym is a name that a person assumes for a particular purpose and that differs from his or her original orthonym...
Andreas Blumenkamp to write satirical articles for the now defunct German roleplaying game magazine Wunderwelten.
Kiesow co-founded Fantasy Productions
Fantasy Productions
Fantasy Productions Medienvertriebsgesellschaft GmbH is a German publishing company based in Erkrath.The company was founded in 1983 by Ulrich Kiesow, Werner Fuchs and Hans Joachim Alpers to produce small metal miniature figures...
in 1983 with Werner Fuchs and Hans Joachim Alpers
Hans Joachim Alpers
Hans Joachim Alpers was a German writer and editor of science fiction and fantasy. Together with Werner Fuchs and Ulrich Kiesow he founded Fantasy Productions, which became one of the premier German RPG- and board game producers and retailers...
. He was the translator of the first German language
German language
German is a West Germanic language, related to and classified alongside English and Dutch. With an estimated 90 – 98 million native speakers, German is one of the world's major languages and is the most widely-spoken first language in the European Union....
editions for both Tunnels & Trolls, which was the first German language RPG rule book, and Dungeons & Dragons
Dungeons & Dragons
Dungeons & Dragons is a fantasy role-playing game originally designed by Gary Gygax and Dave Arneson, and first published in 1974 by Tactical Studies Rules, Inc. . The game has been published by Wizards of the Coast since 1997...
.
Kiesow suffered a severe heart attack in August 1995. While recovering he began to write the Dark Eye novel Das zerbrochene Rad (The broken wheel, a symbol for death in the universe of The Dark Eye). The novel had just completed when Kiesow died of heart failure in his home on January 30, 1997.