Robert J. Kuntz

Robert J. Kuntz (born September 23, 1955) is a game designer and author of role-playing game publications. He is best known for his contributions to various Dungeons & Dragons-related materials.

Biography Early life Kuntz was born September 23, 1955, in Lake Geneva, Wisconsin. His older brother is Terry Kuntz. Kuntz learned about miniature wargames at age 13 while skimming through an issue of Playboy; he saw a game called Dogfight listed in a section describing party gifts for Christmas. Kuntz began playing boardgames, miniatures and play-by-mail games.

In November 1972, Dave Arneson and Dave Megarry traveled to Lake Geneva to meet with Gary Gygax, to provide a demonstration of Blackmoor and Dungeon! While meeting at Gygax's house, Dave Arneson ran the Lake Geneva gamers through their first session of Blackmoor. Rob Kuntz describes Dave Arneson as the referee, and the Lake Geneva players as being Gary Gygax, Ernie Gygax, Terry Kuntz, and himself. Kuntz describes Dave Megarry as the de facto leader of the group, as he understood the Blackmoor game and campaign world. In Wargaming magazine, Rob Kuntz wrote a short summary of their first Blackmoor session:

In 1972, at age 17 Kuntz only lived a few blocks away from Gygax, and got the chance to play in the second-ever game session of Dungeons & Dragons that was set in the World of Greyhawk, where his player character was a fighter named Robilar. among other exploits. Because of Kuntz' imaginative play of this character, Gary Gygax awarded him co-Dungeon Master status for Gygax's original Greyhawk home campaign.

As Gygax's friend and co-DM, Kuntz influenced the development of the Greyhawk milieu. For example, Gygax adapted Kuntz' dark god "Tharzduun" into the entity known today as Tharizdun. The names of the characters Tzunk and Bilarro are anagrams for his or his character's names.

Kuntz has authored or co-authored several D&D publications, including the first edition of Deities & Demigods.

Kuntz wanted to move entirely to game design and write a supplement based on his world of Kalibruhn, but the company would not let him get more involved in creative works so Kuntz left TSR in 1977. 2005, Golden ENnie for Best Adventure, Maure Castle in Dungeon Magazine #112 (Paizo Publishing)