Steve Winter
Encyclopedia
Steve Winter is a game designer who has worked on numerous products for the Dungeons & Dragons
fantasy
role-playing game
from TSR
and later Wizards of the Coast
.
, Iowa
on December 8, 1957. Winter attended Catholic school for grade school and high school, and had two years of Catholic college before he transferred to Iowa State University
at Ames
. “A nun introduced me to the works of J. R. R. Tolkien
in high school ... Previously, I had been mostly into historical novels and military history. For the next several years, I read all the fantasy I could get my hands on — but I didn’t enjoy very much of it. I couldn’t find anything with the same sense of humor and style as Tolkien. I also read a lot of science fiction.” In 1978, while attending college, Winter worked part time at a department store which carried a few wargames
in its small games department. He began playing with the wargame The Russian Campaign
by Avalon Hill
; “The Russian Campaign intrigued me, so I bought Tobruk
, which was the game that changed my life. I played it to death.”
At Iowa State University, Winter was majoring in journalism. “I worked on the campus newsletter, which, incidentally, was the seventh largest daily newspaper in Iowa. One day, I was proofreading the classified ad column, and came across an ad for the Iowa State Gamers. I went to their next meeting, and was introduced to the D&D game ... From then on, I played all day every Saturday, but I never was one of those 5-hour-a-day,7-day-a-week gamers. The newspaper took up most of my time, and I had my heart set on becoming a journalist.” After graduating, Winter got a job on the Peoria (Ill.) Journal-Star as a city desk reporter. “The first night I was there I covered the first murder in Peoria for over a year. I also covered Reagan’s last campaign appearance in 1980. Then there were less exciting jobs, like covering the Mass Transit Board.”
Winter began with TSR
in May 1981 as a Games Editor. In this position, he is credited as the co-creator of the Marvel Super Heroes
Game, and the editor of both Star Frontiers
boxed games, the Gangbusters
games, the 1983 World of Greyhawk revision, and the Top Secret
Companion. Winter was promoted to Manager of Game Editors in 1984, and continued working on many different projects in addition to his management duties, including editing half of the book Oriental Adventures.
Winter ran annual miniatures events at the Gen Con
game convention, including the Car Wars
“Lake Geneva Death Rally” series. Winter wrote "The Art of Three-Dimensional Gaming" booklet for the Battlesystem
Fantasy Combat Supplement. Winter designed and developed an SPI game, Sniper Patrol, combining and expanding the older Sniper
and Patrol
games.
Winter, with Jim Ward
, David Cook
, and Mike Breault, co-wrote the adventure scenario that was adapted into the game Pool of Radiance
. Steve Winter has worked on many game products for the Dungeons & Dragons
game since 1981, as a designer, editor, coordinator, and creative director. Some of his works as a game designer include Ruins of Adventure
, The Complete Psionics Handbook
, the 3rd edition version of Monster Manual II, and Lords of Madness
. Winter co-wrote the Dragonlance
novel Wanderlust
with Mary Kirchoff
.
, who had been a member of the Dragon
Magazine editorial staff and editor of the Polyhedron
Newszine. The couple had an Irish setter named Hannibal.
Dungeons & 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...
fantasy
Fantasy
Fantasy is a genre of fiction that commonly uses magic and other supernatural phenomena as a primary element of plot, theme, or setting. Many works within the genre take place in imaginary worlds where magic is common...
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...
from 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....
and later 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...
.
Early life
Steve Winter was born in DubuqueDubuque, Iowa
Dubuque is a city in and the county seat of Dubuque County, Iowa, United States, located along the Mississippi River. In 2010 its population was 57,637, making it the ninth-largest city in the state and the county's population was 93,653....
, Iowa
Iowa
Iowa is a state located in the Midwestern United States, an area often referred to as the "American Heartland". It derives its name from the Ioway people, one of the many American Indian tribes that occupied the state at the time of European exploration. Iowa was a part of the French colony of New...
on December 8, 1957. Winter attended Catholic school for grade school and high school, and had two years of Catholic college before he transferred to Iowa State University
Iowa State University
Iowa State University of Science and Technology, more commonly known as Iowa State University , is a public land-grant and space-grant research university located in Ames, Iowa, United States. Iowa State has produced astronauts, scientists, and Nobel and Pulitzer Prize winners, along with a host of...
at Ames
Ames, Iowa
Ames is a city located in the central part of the U.S. state of Iowa in Story County, and approximately north of Des Moines. The U.S. Census Bureau designates that Ames, Iowa metropolitan statistical area as encompassing all of Story County, and which, when combined with the Boone, Iowa...
. “A nun introduced me to the works of J. R. R. Tolkien
J. R. R. Tolkien
John Ronald Reuel Tolkien, CBE was an English writer, poet, philologist, and university professor, best known as the author of the classic high fantasy works The Hobbit, The Lord of the Rings, and The Silmarillion.Tolkien was Rawlinson and Bosworth Professor of Anglo-Saxon at Pembroke College,...
in high school ... Previously, I had been mostly into historical novels and military history. For the next several years, I read all the fantasy I could get my hands on — but I didn’t enjoy very much of it. I couldn’t find anything with the same sense of humor and style as Tolkien. I also read a lot of science fiction.” In 1978, while attending college, Winter worked part time at a department store which carried a few wargames
Wargaming
A wargame is a strategy game that deals with military operations of various types, real or fictional. Wargaming is the hobby dedicated to the play of such games, which can also be called conflict simulations, or consims for short. When used professionally to study warfare, it is generally known as...
in its small games department. He began playing with the wargame The Russian Campaign
The Russian Campaign
The Russian Campaign is an award winning strategic board wargame of the Eastern Front during World War II, during the period 1941-45. The unit scale is German Corps and Russian Armies and roughly covers the Berlin to Gorki region and Archangel to Grozny...
by Avalon Hill
Avalon Hill
Avalon Hill was a game company that specialized in wargames and strategic board games. Its logo contained its initials "AH", and it was often referred to by this abbreviation. It also published the occasional miniature wargaming rules, role-playing game, and had a popular line of sports simulations...
; “The Russian Campaign intrigued me, so I bought Tobruk
Tobruk (game)
Tobruk is a board wargame set in the North African Desert circa 1942 and was published by Avalon Hill in 1975. The game is largely focused on the armored forces available to the British, Italian, and German forces of , with infantry, artillery, and air aspects of combat present in secondary,...
, which was the game that changed my life. I played it to death.”
At Iowa State University, Winter was majoring in journalism. “I worked on the campus newsletter, which, incidentally, was the seventh largest daily newspaper in Iowa. One day, I was proofreading the classified ad column, and came across an ad for the Iowa State Gamers. I went to their next meeting, and was introduced to the D&D game ... From then on, I played all day every Saturday, but I never was one of those 5-hour-a-day,7-day-a-week gamers. The newspaper took up most of my time, and I had my heart set on becoming a journalist.” After graduating, Winter got a job on the Peoria (Ill.) Journal-Star as a city desk reporter. “The first night I was there I covered the first murder in Peoria for over a year. I also covered Reagan’s last campaign appearance in 1980. Then there were less exciting jobs, like covering the Mass Transit Board.”
Career
Winter's position with the Peoria Journal Star was a temporary position, and he was laid off after the woman he was substituting for came back from maternity leave. “One day I was in a hobby shop in Peoria, and saw an issue of DRAGON Magazine that mentioned that TSR was looking for editors. I sent my resume, and got an interview. I ended up coming to Lake Geneva three times. The first time, my car broke down, and I had to call and postpone the interview. The second time, everything worked out. But on the third trip, my car broke down again, but I was within five miles of Lake Geneva, so I was able to get it towed in.”Winter began with 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....
in May 1981 as a Games Editor. In this position, he is credited as the co-creator of the Marvel Super Heroes
Marvel Super Heroes (role-playing game)
Marvel Superheroes , aka "the FASERIP system," is a role playing game set in the Marvel Universe, first published by TSR under license from Marvel Comics in 1984. In 1986, TSR published an expanded edition, entitled the Marvel Superheroes Advanced Game. Jeff Grubb designed both editions and Steve...
Game, and the editor of both Star Frontiers
Star Frontiers
Star Frontiers is a science fiction role-playing game produced by TSR beginning in 1982. The game offered a space-opera action-adventure setting.- Setting :...
boxed games, the Gangbusters
Gangbusters (role-playing game)
Gangbusters was a historical roleplaying game designed by Rick Krebs with Mark Acres assisting in its development. The game was published by TSR, Inc. Two editions of the game were published. The first edition of the game was published in 1982.Gangbusters is a game about crime in the United States...
games, the 1983 World of Greyhawk revision, and the Top Secret
Top Secret (role-playing game)
Top Secret is an espionage-themed role-playing game written by Merle M. Rasmussen and first published in 1980 by TSR, Inc.-Top Secret :...
Companion. Winter was promoted to Manager of Game Editors in 1984, and continued working on many different projects in addition to his management duties, including editing half of the book Oriental Adventures.
Winter ran annual miniatures events at the Gen Con
Gen Con
Gen Con is one of the largest and most prominent annual gaming conventions in North America. It features traditional pen-and-paper, board, and card-style games, including role-playing games, miniatures wargames, board games, live action role-playing games, collectible card games, non-collectible...
game convention, including the Car Wars
Car Wars
Car Wars is a vehicle combat simulation game developed by Steve Jackson Games. It was first published in late 1980 .-Game play:In Car Wars, players assume control of one or more automobiles, which may include any powered vehicle, from motorcycles to semi trucks. Optional rules include piloting...
“Lake Geneva Death Rally” series. Winter wrote "The Art of Three-Dimensional Gaming" booklet for the Battlesystem
Battlesystem
Battlesystem is a tabletop miniature wargame designed as a supplement for use with the Dungeons & Dragons role-playing game. It was first released in 1985, compatible with either Advanced Dungeons & Dragons or the Basic / Expert Dungeons & Dragons...
Fantasy Combat Supplement. Winter designed and developed an SPI game, Sniper Patrol, combining and expanding the older Sniper
Sniper! (board game)
Sniper! was a board wargame originally released in 1973. Some sources refer to "Sniper/Patrol" as a sort of series of games: a similar game by Simulations Publications Inc. was released at the same time as the original Sniper!, called Patrol....
and Patrol
Patrol (board game)
Patrol was a board wargame released in the early 1970s as a companion to Sniper! in 1974 by Simulations Publications, Inc. It billed itself as "Man to Man Combat in the 20th Century" and simulated combat from the First World War to the present day....
games.
Winter, with Jim Ward
Jim Ward (game designer)
James M. Ward , is an American game designer and fantasy author. He is most famous for his game development and writing work for TSR, Inc., where he worked for more than 20 years. In 1989 he was inducted into the Academy of Adventure Gaming Arts & Design Hall of Fame...
, David Cook
David Cook (game designer)
David "Zeb" Cook is an American game designer best known for his work at TSR, Inc., where he was employed for over fifteen years.-Early life:...
, and Mike Breault, co-wrote the adventure scenario that was adapted into the game Pool of Radiance
Pool of Radiance
Pool of Radiance is a computer role-playing game developed and published by Strategic Simulations, Inc in 1988. It was the first adaptation of TSR's Advanced Dungeons & Dragons fantasy role-playing game for home computers. It is the first in a four-part series of D&D computer adventure games...
. Steve Winter has worked on many game products for the Dungeons & Dragons
Dungeons & 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...
game since 1981, as a designer, editor, coordinator, and creative director. Some of his works as a game designer include Ruins of Adventure
Ruins of Adventure
Ruins of Adventure is a Dungeons & Dragons module that served as the basis for the popular "Gold Box" computer role-playing game Pool of Radiance, published in 1988 by Strategic Simulations, Inc. . According to the editors of Dragon magazine, Pool of Radiance was based on Ruins of Adventure, and...
, The Complete Psionics Handbook
The Complete Psionics Handbook
The Complete Psionics Handbook is a supplemental rulebook for the 2nd edition of the Dungeons & Dragons fantasy role-playing game, published in 1991 by TSR Inc. It contains a variety of information useful to playing psionic characters in the game....
, the 3rd edition version of Monster Manual II, and Lords of Madness
Lords of Madness
Lords of Madness is an official supplement for the 3.5 edition of the Dungeons and Dragons fantasy roleplaying game.-Contents:It includes new content for aberrations including new aberration monsters and monsters related to them, and information on how to hunt aberrations.-What Is an...
. Winter co-wrote the Dragonlance
Dragonlance
Dragonlance is a shared universe created by Laura and Tracy Hickman, and expanded by Tracy Hickman and Margaret Weis under the direction of TSR, Inc. into a series of popular fantasy novels. The Hickmans conceived Dragonlance while driving in their car on the way to TSR for a job application...
novel Wanderlust
Wanderlust (1991 novel)
Wanderlust is a fantasy novel set in the Dragonlance universe. It was written by Steve Winter and Mary Kirchoff, based on characters and settings from Margaret Weis and Tracy Hickman's Dragonlance Chronicles series...
with Mary Kirchoff
Mary Kirchoff
Mary L. Kirchoff is an American writer. She is the author of more than ten published works, including the Dragonlance novels Kendermore, Wanderlust , Flint, the King , The Black Wing, and the Defenders of Magic trilogy...
.
Personal life
In September 1985, Winter married Mary KirchoffMary Kirchoff
Mary L. Kirchoff is an American writer. She is the author of more than ten published works, including the Dragonlance novels Kendermore, Wanderlust , Flint, the King , The Black Wing, and the Defenders of Magic trilogy...
, who had been a member of the 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 editorial staff and editor of the Polyhedron
Polyhedron (magazine)
Polyhedron was a magazine which started out as the official publication of the RPGA . Publication began in the year 1981, and the target audience was players of the Dungeons & Dragons roleplaying game...
Newszine. The couple had an Irish setter named Hannibal.