BIOGRAPHY

Like many of my generation, I was introduced to role playing games before there were computers to roll the dice for us. We had to actually extend our arm to throw the dice and then go look for them when they rolled off the table. Although today most RPGs are played on the PC, over 25 years ago we took out pen and paper and used our imagination instead of a computer screen.

My first RPG was the original Dungeons & Dragons. I was still in elementary school and played with my best friend and his older cousin. We sat in their grandmother’s basement and rolled dice for hours until the Orcs were all dead and our treasure chests were full of gold. As time went on and I grew older, I switched to other games and even joined a local RPG group. Eventually, I started getting interested in creating my own games. By high school I had created an RPG based on the Dr. Who TV series and wrote several modules. Toward the end of high school, however, my interests turned to other things and I largely stopped playing pen and paper (PnP) games altogether.

Years later, I found myself playing games on the computer and online, but many of those were based on the PnP games of my youth. I even tried my hand at building an online game myself, called Imperium Online, based on a novel I had written. That project didn’t reach fruition, largely due to a lack of money and experience, but I was still intrigued by the fictional universe I had created (both in the novel and the game). So, I turned that world into a graphic novel called Alexander the Prince and a short story called Magnus Black: Born in the Grave.

When I finished Magnus Black, I realized that I still wanted to create a game, but not for the computer. I knew from my youth that I could write a PnP game, so I started creating one around the Imperium lore. In the end, after two years of development, the final game evolved into a smash-up of both fantasy and sci-fi elements. I’ve always been fascinated by the two genres, and the idea of combining them intrigued me. Don’t get me wrong, this isn’t a new idea. In fact, Warhammer 40,000 is probably the best example. Nevertheless, I felt I could bring a new spin on the concept and I hope I’ve achieved that goal. In September 2008, I published the Imperium Chronicles Role Playing Game, and I’ve been churning out supplements ever since. I can’t say any of this has made me rich, but it’s been a great experience and I intend to keep going for years to come.

Sincerely,
William Mitchell