Wolfgang Baur
Encyclopedia
Wolfgang Baur is an American
game designer, best known for his work with Dragon
magazine. He designs role-playing game
s and also is known for his work at Wizards of the Coast
.
, and later attended the University of Illinois and then Cornell University
for graduate studies in biochemistry and molecular biology to pursue an academic career in research. When he ran out of funding in 1991, Baur took a temporary job as assistant editor to Barbara Young
at Dungeon
magazine: "By the time my scholarship was reinstated, I didn't want to go back... I'd been writing for Dungeon Adventures and Iron Crown, but this was an opportunity to work in a field I loved."
Baur was involved in many projects at TSR
as either designer or editor, including Dungeon and Dragon
magazines, the Planescape
(Planes of Law, Planes of Chaos
), Al-Qadim
(Secrets of the Lamp
, Assassin Mountain
), and Birthright
settings (Warlock of the Stonecrowns), editing the Star*Drive setting, Dataware, and Doom of Daggerdale
. Baur also worked for ICE
on books such as Treasures of Middle-earth. Baur also worked on the Dark•Matter
setting for the Alternity
science fiction role-playing game.
Currently, he is the "Kobold-in-chief" for Open Design LLC, and editor-in-chief of its quarterly periodical Kobold Quarterly
. He won the eighth annual Diana Jones Award for Excellence in Gaming in 2008. Kobold Quarterly and Open Design won five ENnie Awards in 2009.
Baur maintains several RPG and writing related interests beyond his magazine. For instance, he is a member of the Alliterates (a group of local and national authors), and serves as a judge for the RPG Superstar competitions, as part of a three-judge panel of respected figures from the field.
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United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
game designer, best known for his work with Dragon
Dragon (magazine)
Dragon is one of the two official magazines for source material for the Dungeons & Dragons role-playing game and associated products, the other being Dungeon. TSR, Inc. originally launched the monthly printed magazine in 1976 to succeed the company's earlier publication, The Strategic Review. The...
magazine. He designs role-playing game
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...
s and also is known for his work at Wizards of the Coast
Wizards of the Coast
Wizards of the Coast is an American publisher of games, primarily based on fantasy and science fiction themes, and formerly an operator of retail stores for games...
.
Biography
Wolfgang Baur was born in a suburb of ChicagoChicago
Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...
, and later attended the University of Illinois and then Cornell University
Cornell University
Cornell University is an Ivy League university located in Ithaca, New York, United States. It is a private land-grant university, receiving annual funding from the State of New York for certain educational missions...
for graduate studies in biochemistry and molecular biology to pursue an academic career in research. When he ran out of funding in 1991, Baur took a temporary job as assistant editor to Barbara Young
Barbara G. Young
Barbara G. Young is an editor who has worked on several game products and articles for the Dungeons & Dragons fantasy role-playing game from TSR. She was an assistant editor on Dragon and Dungeon magazines from 1987 to 1995....
at Dungeon
Dungeon (magazine)
Dungeon Adventures, or simply Dungeon, was a magazine targeting consumers of role-playing games, particularly Dungeons & Dragons. It was first published by TSR, Inc. in 1986 as a bimonthly periodical. It went monthly in May 2003 and ceased print publication altogether in September 2007 with Issue 150...
magazine: "By the time my scholarship was reinstated, I didn't want to go back... I'd been writing for Dungeon Adventures and Iron Crown, but this was an opportunity to work in a field I loved."
Baur was involved in many projects at TSR
TSR, Inc.
Blume and Gygax, the remaining owners, incorporated a new company called TSR Hobbies, Inc., with Blume and his father, Melvin Blume, owning the larger share. The former assets of the partnership were transferred to TSR Hobbies, Inc....
as either designer or editor, including Dungeon and Dragon
Dragon (magazine)
Dragon is one of the two official magazines for source material for the Dungeons & Dragons role-playing game and associated products, the other being Dungeon. TSR, Inc. originally launched the monthly printed magazine in 1976 to succeed the company's earlier publication, The Strategic Review. The...
magazines, the Planescape
Planescape
Planescape is a campaign setting for the Dungeons & Dragons fantasy role-playing game, originally designed by Zeb Cook. The Planescape setting was published in 1994...
(Planes of Law, Planes of Chaos
Planes of Chaos
Planes of Chaos was a boxed set for the Planescape campaign setting of the Dungeons & Dragons fantasy role-playing game.-Contents:Planes of Chaos is an expansion set for the Planescape campaign setting which details the five chaotic Outer Planes: Arborea, Ysgard, Limbo, Pandemonium, and the Abyss...
), Al-Qadim
Al-Qadim
Al-Qadim is an Arabian Nights-themed campaign setting for the Dungeons & Dragons role-playing game. The setting was developed by Jeff Grubb for TSR, Inc., and was first released in 1992. Al-Qadim is set in the land of Zakhara, called the Land of Fate...
(Secrets of the Lamp
Secrets of the Lamp
Secrets of the Lamp is an accessory for the 2nd edition of the Advanced Dungeons & Dragons fantasy role-playing game, published in 1993....
, Assassin Mountain
Assassin Mountain
Assassin Mountain is an accessory for the 2nd edition of the Advanced Dungeons & Dragons fantasy role-playing game, published in 1993....
), and Birthright
Birthright (campaign setting)
Birthright is a Dungeons & Dragons campaign setting that was first released by TSR in 1995. The setting based on the world of Aebrynis on the continent of Cerilia, in which the players take on the role of the divinely-empowered rulers, with emphasis on the political rulership level of gameplay...
settings (Warlock of the Stonecrowns), editing the Star*Drive setting, Dataware, and Doom of Daggerdale
Doom of Daggerdale
Doom of Daggerdale is an adventure module for the fictional Forgotten Realms campaign setting for the second edition of the Advanced Dungeons & Dragons fantasy role-playing game...
. Baur also worked for ICE
Iron Crown Enterprises
Iron Crown Enterprises was a publisher of role playing, board, miniature battle, and collectible card games.ICE was incorporated in 1980 shortly after the principal founders graduated from the University of Virginia...
on books such as Treasures of Middle-earth. Baur also worked on the Dark•Matter
Dark•Matter
1Dark•Matter is a science fiction/conspiracy theory campaign setting that was originally published in 1999 by Wizards of the Coast as the second campaign setting for the Alternity role-playing game. It was written by Wolfgang Baur and Monte Cook...
setting for the Alternity
Alternity
Alternity is a science fiction role-playing game published by TSR in 1998...
science fiction role-playing game.
Currently, he is the "Kobold-in-chief" for Open Design LLC, and editor-in-chief of its quarterly periodical Kobold Quarterly
Kobold Quarterly
Kobold Quarterly is a roleplaying game magazine created by Wolfgang Baur and published by Open Design LLC. It is published four times a year and focuses on the Dungeons & Dragons role-playing game system. The magazine occupies the gaming market niche once served by the Dungeon and Dragonmagazines,...
. He won the eighth annual Diana Jones Award for Excellence in Gaming in 2008. Kobold Quarterly and Open Design won five ENnie Awards in 2009.
Baur maintains several RPG and writing related interests beyond his magazine. For instance, he is a member of the Alliterates (a group of local and national authors), and serves as a judge for the RPG Superstar competitions, as part of a three-judge panel of respected figures from the field.
Media mentions
Wolfgang has appeared in the following newspaper and magazine articles, websites and podcasts.Podcasts
- Atomic Array: Wolfgang appeared on these episodes: 009 (Kobold Quarterly 007), 015 (Kobold Quarterly 008), and 021 (Kobold Quarterly 009).
- Open Design: Co-host with Ed Healy and Rone Barton. The official podcast for Wolfgang's publishing company.
- RPG Countdown: Wolfgang appeared on these episodes: 22 April 2009 (Kobold Quarterly 009), 6 November 2009 (Kobold Quarterly 011).
External links
- Kobold Quarterly, Baur's print and PDF RPG magazine http://www.koboldquarterly.com
- Baur's website The Free City
- Wolfgang Baur at The Pen and Paper Database
- Interviews and Q&As
- Podcast at The Tome Show
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- Pulp Gamer, Inside Track http://www.trumix.com/podshows/2400502
- Writing for Pay http://rockettscience.com/2007/08/14/writing-for-pay-2-wolfgang-baur-interview-up
- Ollamh Lorekeeper, Part 1 http://ollamh.blogspot.com/2008/11/interview-with-wolfgang-baur-open.html
- Ollamh Lorekeeper, Part 2 http://ollamh.blogspot.com/2008/11/inteview-with-wolfgang-baur-open-design.html