Carl Sargent
Encyclopedia
Carl L. Sargent is a British
author of several roleplaying game-based products and novels.
in 1978 through friends. TSR UK
were based in Cambridge, and they met with Sargent after he had submitted an article to Imagine
magazine. The TSR UK crew later left to work for Games Workshop
. He later worked as a freelance designer, and was brought in by TSR to work on Greyhawk
.
Most of his role-playing works were published between 1987 and 1996. He has authored many products for the Dungeons & Dragons (particularly for the World of Greyhawk setting), Warhammer Fantasy Roleplay
and Shadowrun
roleplaying games. He also authored various Fighting Fantasy
gamebooks and novels, some under the pseudonym Keith Martin.
in psychology
(or experimental parapsychology
), which he earned in 1979. He is known to have performed numerous ganzfeld experiment
s at the University of Cambridge
(a photograph of Sargent performing such an experiment appears in the Encyclopedia of Pseudoscience
, page 129). His published works in this field include Explaining the Unexplained: Mysteries of the Paranormal, co-authored with Hans Eysenck
.
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
author of several roleplaying game-based products and novels.
Early career
Sargent researched and taught psychology at the University of Cambridge. He started playing Dungeons & DragonsDungeons & 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...
in 1978 through friends. TSR UK
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....
were based in Cambridge, and they met with Sargent after he had submitted an article to Imagine
Imagine (AD&D magazine)
Imagine Magazine was a monthly magazine dedicated to the first edition Advanced Dungeons and Dragons and Dungeons and Dragons role playing game systems published by TSR UK Limited.-History:Imagine was published between April 1983 and October 1985...
magazine. The TSR UK crew later left to work for Games Workshop
Games Workshop
Games Workshop Group plc is a British game production and retailing company. Games Workshop has published the tabletop wargames Warhammer Fantasy Battle and Warhammer 40,000...
. He later worked as a freelance designer, and was brought in by TSR to work on Greyhawk
Greyhawk
Greyhawk, also known as the World of Greyhawk, is a fictional world designed as a campaign setting for the Dungeons & Dragons fantasy roleplaying game...
.
Most of his role-playing works were published between 1987 and 1996. He has authored many products for the Dungeons & Dragons (particularly for the World of Greyhawk setting), Warhammer Fantasy Roleplay
Warhammer Fantasy Roleplay
Warhammer Fantasy Roleplay is a role-playing game set in the Warhammer Fantasy setting. Over the years, it has been through a number of phases and different publishers, most of which were related in some way to Games Workshop...
and Shadowrun
Shadowrun
Shadowrun is a role-playing game set in a near-future fictional universe in which cybernetics, magic and fantasy creatures co-exist. It combines genres of cyberpunk, urban fantasy and crime, with occasional elements of conspiracy fiction, horror, and detective fiction.The original game has spawned...
roleplaying games. He also authored various Fighting Fantasy
Fighting Fantasy
Fighting Fantasy is a series of single-player fantasy roleplay gamebooks created by Steve Jackson and Ian Livingstone. The first volumes in the series were published by Puffin in 1982, with the rights to the franchise eventually being purchased by Wizard Books in 2002...
gamebooks and novels, some under the pseudonym Keith Martin.
Qualifications
Sargent holds a PhDPHD
PHD may refer to:*Ph.D., a doctorate of philosophy*Ph.D. , a 1980s British group*PHD finger, a protein sequence*PHD Mountain Software, an outdoor clothing and equipment company*PhD Docbook renderer, an XML renderer...
in psychology
Psychology
Psychology is the study of the mind and behavior. Its immediate goal is to understand individuals and groups by both establishing general principles and researching specific cases. For many, the ultimate goal of psychology is to benefit society...
(or experimental parapsychology
Parapsychology
The term parapsychology was coined in or around 1889 by philosopher Max Dessoir, and originates from para meaning "alongside", and psychology. The term was adopted by J.B. Rhine in the 1930s as a replacement for the term psychical research...
), which he earned in 1979. He is known to have performed numerous ganzfeld experiment
Ganzfeld experiment
A ganzfeld experiment is a technique used in the field of parapsychology to test individuals for extrasensory perception . It uses homogeneous and unpatterned sensory stimulation to produce an effect similar to sensory deprivation. The deprivation of patterned sensory input is said to be conducive...
s at the University of Cambridge
University of Cambridge
The University of Cambridge is a public research university located in Cambridge, United Kingdom. It is the second-oldest university in both the United Kingdom and the English-speaking world , and the seventh-oldest globally...
(a photograph of Sargent performing such an experiment appears in the Encyclopedia of Pseudoscience
Encyclopedia of Pseudoscience
The Encyclopedia of Pseudoscience , edited by Dr William F. Williams, "identifies, defines and explains terms and concepts related to the world of "almost science"...
, page 129). His published works in this field include Explaining the Unexplained: Mysteries of the Paranormal, co-authored with Hans Eysenck
Hans Eysenck
Hans Jürgen Eysenck was a German-British psychologist who spent most of his career in Britain, best remembered for his work on intelligence and personality, though he worked in a wide range of areas...
.
External links
- "Is There Life Beyond Death?" An article by Carl Sargent and Hans J Eysenck
- "Psi, Science and the Future." An article by Carl Sargent and Hans J Eysenck
- Pen & Paper listing for Carl Sargent
- A Report of a Visit to Carl Sargent's Laboratory
- Wizards of the Coast messageboard thread about Sargent, including an old interview
- A photo of Sargent at an old Society for Psychical Research meeting