Kenneth Hite
Encyclopedia
Kenneth Hite is a writer and role-playing game
designer. He holds an M.A. in International Relations
from the University of Chicago
and a Bachelor's degree in Cartography
from East Central University
. He has been writing games since 1981 and full-time since 1995. He writes the "Suppressed Transmission" column for Pyramid
magazine, which has been collected into the volumes Suppressed Transmission: The First Broadcast and Suppressed Transmission 2: The Second Broadcast, as well as the "Out of the Box" column (previously for the GamingReport, now IndiePressRevolution).
He was the line editor
for Last Unicorn Games
' Star Trek RPG. He also contributed a guest comic strip for Dork Tower
in 2004.http://www.dorktower.com/2004/05/24/comics-archive-545/
Hite wrote or contributed to several GURPS
supplements:
as well as supplements for other role-playing games:
Hite has also written several books:
Hite is also one of many contributors to the book Gamemastering Secrets, which won the 2002 Origins Award for Best Game Aid or Accessory. His essay, “Cthulhu’s Polymorphous Perversity”, appears in Cthulhurotica, published by Dagan Books, December 2010.
In February 2008, Pelgrane Press
published Hite's Trail of Cthulhu
, a role-playing game using the GUMSHOE System
developed by Robin Laws
. Hite won two silver ENnies
in 2008 for his work on Trail of Cthulhu: Best Writing, and Best Rules (with Robin Laws). Hite has since added to the Trail of Cthulhu line with Shadows Over Filmland, Rough Magicks, and Bookhounds of London.
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...
designer. He holds an M.A. in International Relations
International relations
International relations is the study of relationships between countries, including the roles of states, inter-governmental organizations , international nongovernmental organizations , non-governmental organizations and multinational corporations...
from the University of Chicago
University of Chicago
The University of Chicago is a private research university in Chicago, Illinois, USA. It was founded by the American Baptist Education Society with a donation from oil magnate and philanthropist John D. Rockefeller and incorporated in 1890...
and a Bachelor's degree in Cartography
Cartography
Cartography is the study and practice of making maps. Combining science, aesthetics, and technique, cartography builds on the premise that reality can be modeled in ways that communicate spatial information effectively.The fundamental problems of traditional cartography are to:*Set the map's...
from East Central University
East Central University
East Central University is a four year public university in Ada, Oklahoma, located in the south central region of the state. The university also has courses available in McAlester, Shawnee, Ardmore, and Durant....
. He has been writing games since 1981 and full-time since 1995. He writes the "Suppressed Transmission" column for Pyramid
Pyramid (magazine)
Pyramid is a gaming magazine, publishing articles primarily on role-playing games, but including board games, card games, and other sorts of games. It began life in 1993 as a print publication of Steve Jackson Games for its first 30 issues, though it has been published on the Internet since March...
magazine, which has been collected into the volumes Suppressed Transmission: The First Broadcast and Suppressed Transmission 2: The Second Broadcast, as well as the "Out of the Box" column (previously for the GamingReport, now IndiePressRevolution).
He was the line editor
Line editor
A line editor is a text editor computer program that manipulates text primarily by the display, modification, and movement of lines. Line editors precede screen-based text editors and originated in an era when a computer operator typically interacted with a teleprinter , with no video display, and...
for Last Unicorn Games
Last Unicorn Games
Last Unicorn Games was a games publisher that was eventually absorbed by Wizards of the Coast.Last Unicorn developed the collectible card games Dune and Heresy: Kingdom Come as well as the 2000 role-playing game Dune: Chronicles of the Imperium...
' Star Trek RPG. He also contributed a guest comic strip for Dork Tower
Dork Tower
Dork Tower is an online comic created, written and drawn by John Kovalic. It chronicles the lives of a group of geeks living in the fictional town of Mud Bay, Wisconsin. Mud Bay's design is strongly influenced by the author's home town of Madison, Wisconsin. Topics have included role-playing...
in 2004.http://www.dorktower.com/2004/05/24/comics-archive-545/
Hite wrote or contributed to several GURPS
GURPS
The Generic Universal RolePlaying System, or GURPS, is a tabletop role-playing game system designed to allow for play in any game setting...
supplements:
- GURPS Alternate Earths
- GURPS Alternate Earths II
- GURPS Cabal
- GURPS Horror (Third Edition)
- GURPS Infinite WorldsGURPS Infinite WorldsGURPS Infinite Worlds is a supplement for the Fourth Edition of the GURPS role-playing game, published by Steve Jackson Games in 2005 and written by Kenneth Hite, Steve Jackson, and John M. Ford...
(Winner of the 2005 Origins AwardOrigins AwardThe Origins Awards are American awards for outstanding work in the game industry. They are presented by the Academy of Adventure Gaming Arts and Design at the Origins Game Fair on an annual basis for the previous year, so the 1979 awards were given at the 1980 Origins.The Origins Award is commonly...
for Role-Playing Game Supplement of the Year) - GURPS WWII: Weird War II
- GURPS Y2K
as well as supplements for other role-playing games:
- Adventures Into Darkness (for Hero SystemHero SystemThe Hero System is a generic role-playing game system that developed from the superhero RPG Champions. It is used as the underlying mechanics of other Hero Games role-playing games such as Dark Champions, Fantasy Hero, Star Hero, and Pulp Hero...
and Mutants & Masterminds) - Mage: The Sorcerer's CrusadeMage: The Sorcerer's CrusadeMage: The Sorcerers Crusade is a role playing game that takes place in the World of Darkness during the Renaissance. It is a prequel of Mage: The Ascension and depicts the beginning of the struggle between "traditionalists" and "technocrats"....
(for Mage: The AscensionMage: The AscensionMage: The Ascension is a role-playing game based in the World of Darkness, and was published by White Wolf Game Studio. The characters portrayed in the game are referred to as mages, and are capable of feats of magic...
) - Cainite HeresyCainite HeresyThe Cainite Heresy is a fictional heretical cult, practised by some vampires and their human subjects in the setting of Vampire: The Dark Ages, a role-playing game by White Wolf Game Studio....
(for Vampire: The Dark AgesVampire: The Dark AgesVampire: The Dark Ages is a role-playing game originally published by White Wolf Game Studio in 1996. Later, in 2002, the gameline was replaced by Dark Ages: Vampire...
) - Back East: The South (for DeadlandsDeadlandsDeadlands is a genre-mixing alternate history roleplaying game which combines the Western and horror genres, with some Steampunk elements. It was written by Shane Lacy Hensley and published by Pinnacle Entertainment Group....
) - Dubious Shards (which includes an adventure for Delta GreenDelta GreenDelta Green is a setting for the Call of Cthulhu role-playing game created by Adam Scott Glancy, Dennis Detwiller, and John Tynes, aka the Delta Green Partnership, of the Seattle gaming house Pagan Publishing...
) - Secrets of the Ruined Temple (for Mage: The AwakeningMage: The AwakeningMage: The Awakening is a role-playing game developed by White Wolf, Inc. and based in their World of Darkness setting. The characters portrayed in this game are individuals able to bend or break the commonly-accepted rules of reality to perform subtle or outlandish acts of magic. These characters...
) - Day after Ragnarok (for Savage WorldsSavage WorldsSavage Worlds is an award-winning, universal generic, role-playing game and miniatures wargame, written by Shane Lacy Hensley, and published by Great White Games doing business as Pinnacle Entertainment Group...
and Hero SystemHero SystemThe Hero System is a generic role-playing game system that developed from the superhero RPG Champions. It is used as the underlying mechanics of other Hero Games role-playing games such as Dark Champions, Fantasy Hero, Star Hero, and Pulp Hero...
)
Hite has also written several books:
- The Complete Idiot's Guide to U.S. History, Graphic Illustrated (with Sheperd Hendrix) (2009)
- The Antarctic Express (with Christina Rodriguez) (2009)
- Cthulhu 101 (with John KovalicJohn KovalicJohn Kovalic is a cartoonist, illustrator, and writer.Kovalic is best known for his Dork Tower comic book, comic strip and webcomic, and other humorous work set in and about the fantasy role-playing game genre, such as The Unspeakable Oaf...
) (2009) - Where the Deep Ones Are (with Andy Hopp) (2008)
- Tour de Lovecraft: The Tales (2008)
Hite is also one of many contributors to the book Gamemastering Secrets, which won the 2002 Origins Award for Best Game Aid or Accessory. His essay, “Cthulhu’s Polymorphous Perversity”, appears in Cthulhurotica, published by Dagan Books, December 2010.
In February 2008, Pelgrane Press
Pelgrane Press
Pelgrane Press Ltd is a British role-playing game publishing company based in London and founded in 1999. It is owned by Simon J Rogers, Sasha Bilton and its sister company ProFantasy Software. It currently produces the Dying Earth Roleplaying Game, GUMSHOE System and related products.-GUMSHOE...
published Hite's Trail of Cthulhu
Trail of Cthulhu (role-playing game)
Trail of Cthulhu is an investigative horror role-playing game designed by Kenneth Hite that uses the GUMSHOE System developed by Robin Laws. Trail of Cthulhu is published by Pelgrane Press under license from Chaosium...
, a role-playing game using the GUMSHOE System
GUMSHOE System
The GUMSHOE System is a role-playing game system created by Robin Laws, designed for running investigative scenarios. The premise is that investigative games are not about finding clues, they are about interpreting the clues that are found...
developed by Robin Laws
Robin Laws
Robin D. Laws is a writer and game designer who lives in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. He is the author of a number of role-playing games and related products.-Works:Robin D...
. Hite won two silver ENnies
ENnies
The Annual Gen Con EN World RPG Awards are annual, fan-based awards for role-playing game products and publishers hosted at Gen Con in Indianapolis, Indiana...
in 2008 for his work on Trail of Cthulhu: Best Writing, and Best Rules (with Robin Laws). Hite has since added to the Trail of Cthulhu line with Shadows Over Filmland, Rough Magicks, and Bookhounds of London.