Jump to content

Greg Stafford Condolence Thread


MOB

Recommended Posts

Just... damn.

The Great Table has a another chair filled... Gary Gygax, Dave Arneson, N. Robin Crossby, MAR Barker... so many of us Original Geeks.

I am heartbroken at the loss to us all, but can take a small solace in Greg's literal Life Well-Lived. They brought This Thing Of Ours out from the basements and into the limelight with no apologies and absolutely no shame. Being a gamer and a fan was once seen as a social taboo and was nearly classified as a mental disorder, but Sandy, Greg, and all the other writers, publishers, and imagineers wouldn't let them stifle us. They wouldn't let Frodo die or shunt Gilgamesh or Beowulf off into the dusty halls of academia where only the odd ducks of society would ever encounter them. They brought them out into the light of day for all of us to enjoy.

And for that, I shall always thank them.

I remember having to pass through picket lines of evangelicals screaming about 'devil worship' in order to spend my hard earned allowance on DnD, Traveller, Tekumel, and Glorantha. Now, I am privileged to have a signed copy of RQG sitting a place of honor on my shelf. And I by-God STILL have some of those books that I had to pass through the pickets to buy.

If the respects and condolences of an old cavalry corporal are worth a fig at this time, please accept mine.

Thank you, Greg Stafford, for everything you've given me.

  • Like 5
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Great Grief! One of my absolute House Gods are now gone. I own one of the books that was his personally, bought from him on Ebay, the first edition Runequest. As I am a serious collector of all Chaosium materials over the years except Superworld and Nephilim, this is the man that started my turn into the GOOD stuff. I will mourn your passing Greg, and light a candle.

May your soul go to Orlanth and Yelm both. You were at least as mighty and as warm in your friendliness as them. 

Kindest possible thoughts, Erik Brickman.

Edited by dracopticon
  • Like 1

"I intend to live forever, or die trying" - Groucho Marx

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Thank you greg!
I remember I discovered glorantha while I was at the University of Archeology in Paris Sorbonne. We had then on the forums furious discussions on the mythology of Glorantha compared to that of antiquity. it was a pure intellectual happiness! And on Saturday we played from 2pm to Sunday 6am. Tired, driving back home we were still discussing mythology. Greg did that: brace our brains.
For Pendragon it's another thing, it's maybe my favorite game by his system that wives so well players to have their feelings expressed to their character. Yes that's right, Glorantha is a great world, Pendragon a great game, Greg Stanford a great Shaman, the big manitou, Gitche Manitou, Gitchi Manitou, Gitche Manito...
Thank you Greg
Fly Angels!

Arnaud

 

Merci greg !
je me souvien j'ai découvert glorantha alors que j'était en université d'Archéologie à Paris en Sorbonne. Nous avions alors sur les forums des discutions endiablés sur la mythologie de glorantha comparé à celle de l'antiquité. c'était un pur boheur intélectuel ! Et le samedi l'on jouait de 14H au dimanche 06h00. Fatigué, en rentrant en voiture chez nous on discutait encore de mythologie. Greg a fait ça : bouilloner nos cerveaux.
Pour Pendragon c'est autre chose, c'est peut être mon jeu préféré par son systeme que pouse si bien les joueurs a faire exprimer leurs sentimants a leur personnage. Oui c'est ça, Glorantha est un univers génial, Pendragon un jeu génial, Greg Stanford un grand Shaman, le grand manitou, Gitche Manitou, Gitchi Manitou, Gitche Manito.
Merci Greg
Volez les Anges !

Arnaud

Edited by yamsur
  • Like 2
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Greg, you probably saved my life. You certainly made my life, shaping my thoughts and dreams in ways beyond counting. When my father bought RuneQuest and hated it, the game entered my life. Roleplaying became my passion and has consumed my free hours since. Glorantha led me from nihilism and atheism towards an understanding of myth and the power of legend. Today as a teacher of religious studies, I owe all of that to you. You will be missed. May your memory be eternal.

Thankyou.

  • Like 5
Link to comment
Share on other sites

My sincere condolences to his family, friends, and loved ones.

Greg Stafford's work helped inspire me to become a game designer. I still remember walking home from school in 1979 or 1980 soon after I discovered Rune Quest and Glorantha , and thinking "yes, this is what I want to do."  I had enjoyed playing and GMing games before I read his work, but afterwards I realized they could express fully realized worlds.

Thank you, Greg. I hope you find a new adventure in the hereafter.

 

 

Edited by David Pulver
  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

At long last  I  am able  to speak about  my  old friend. I was there in 1975 when Chaosium got  started. I worked with Greg very hard on many games. I can remember correlating the game rule  books and packaging the games. I was  at Chaosium many times sometimes very late at night. My first game I worked  with Greg was I believe White Bear Red Moon which name was later changed. I am sure Charlie  Krank remembers it.    Then I worked on King Arthur's Knights which  has my name on it. My Name is on Pendragon misspelled I might add. Like Greg I am a Shaman too. Is anyone publishing  Shaman's Drum anymore? I would love to get back copies. I have all original Chaosium Games  in my storage unit if anyone  is interested. My major  regret is that I lost contact  with Greg in 2010 when Isaac Bonewits died. Some of you  may  remember that Greg published Isaac's  Game book  for Real Magick in Games entitled Authentic Thaumaturgy   I sold  many  copies for Greg at many conventions and I sold many Games for him at Conventions. Now both Issac and Greg are gone. Last night  I had  a prophetic dream  about Greg and I. In the dream we were reunited and after  a long  talk we  played Pendragon together which  we had worked so hard on  in life. I plan  to talk  about  Greg on my  Facebook page  later tonight. If you want to see  what I write  add  me on  Facebook and  Facebook Messager   As  Stephen W. Abbott. We all  owe  a great debt to Greg for all he did for the Gaming  Community. I  will  sorely  miss him. My  heart goes out to his family I knew most of his kids sadly not his  wife. Charlie Krank if you are out there I  miss  you Bro. Let me know  if I  can help with Chaosium . I will be contacting  Steve Perrin  tonight  to about Greg. Take Care  and  Blessed Be  My  Shaman Brother My  your Journey to the  Celtic Other World be filled with  Joy  Pleasure and Excitement. Has anyone John and Kaitlin Mathews they  should be told  of his passing. I  can  try  and reach them on my  end. I think they are  on Facebook. I will try tonight.  AD (arch-druid) Stephen W. Abbott but  as Greg knew  me in 75 Stephen W.Abbott Mc Caully.

'

  • Like 4
  • Sad 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Dear Greg

It’s with your passing that I realize how much of an influence your work had on my life. As one of my heroes growing up, I had the privilege of finally meeting you in 1994 at the Baltimore convention. I was struck by how generous you were with my questions and willing to spend your time discussing Glorantha with a fan. This was a pattern that you had started early, when I called you out of the blue after the urging of my girlfriend who was sick of hearing me talk about RuneQuest and you all the time, she wanted me to do something that I loved and pushed me to make contact, a gesture that affected my entire life. Your willingness to discuss ideas with me gave me confidence in my own ideas and reinforced a growing belief that I could become a professional game maker like you, and over the years this is exactly what I did. I have been making games for over 20 years now, and I have you to thank for this.

Not only did you influence the trajectory of my life, but through Glorantha I got to connect with my friends and brothers in a way that would have been impossible without this world. You were the magician of my spiritual alchemy and awakened us all to the truths that all human beings share, the mystery of existence and the invisible connections we all share through mythology, storytelling, and the hero journey.

And I am still on this journey, but I feel like I have lost one of my greatest allies. I hope your family and those close to you realize that you had a profound effect on thousands of people’s life experience and understanding of the world, as well as entertained us with amazing stories of a fantastic world that was a mirror of our own.

 

Thank you Greg from the bottom of my heart.

 

Phil

 

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

All,

I never met Greg, but he has touched my life in a very significant way. From the thrill of the paperback RQ edition, through the sublime Pendragon, on to HeroQuest (and everything inbetween), and then passing on the joy of Glorantha for others to run with.

RIP Greg, catch you later 

Mark H

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Hello  I feel that I owe a big thank you to the guy,  because he was  the creator of the games that  I played most  when I was younger Runequest  for instance that I bought in 1982 It was  really different from  Ad&d   more adult more savage and engaging.  I did play  CoC and Superworld well most of chaosium games at the time, and I feel  that I was changed   through it. It helped me  learn  english  with it  which is a great plus.  So thank you  for  helping me  reaching new world views   with fantasy  comics or  horror . I feel sad this morning .

Edited by Stéphane Abecassis
word checking and punctuation
  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

I first encountered Greg's work with Runequest 1st edition in 1979, at a time when I was having serious health issues at University. Playing it helped me cope both psychologically and physically between stints in hospital.

Too young, darnit! The world is a poorer place now he's no longer here, but my goodness, he enriched it so much before then I feel churlish complaining.

My condolences to his family and friends. Other friends, I should say, as though I never met him in person, I did through his magnum opus, Glorantha.

That remains, and I think will rank with the worlds of Tolkein, Swift, Lewis and Barker as an immortal work of imagination.

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Just saw this pop on my Whatsapp. 

I am so sad to hear that Greg is gone. 

His work has thrilled, enthralled and helped educate me and hordes of others for years now.

A real titan of the gaming world is gone to his rest, and we are all the poorer for it.

Condolences to Greg's family in this sad time.

  • Like 2
Link to comment
Share on other sites

I have been playing this hobby for many years. It would never have held my interest if Greg and the rest if the team at Chaosium had not opened my eyes to the notion that chopping up pretend monsters only a tiny part of what RPGs can do. Thank you Greg. Rest easy.

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Greg, eighteen years ago, you wrote these words in the Glorantha book of HeroWars:

"Whatever the reason might be, there is the truth: a good story can make you feel better. That is the power of myth."

And that was the power of Greg Stafford.

Thank you.

Condolences to your family and friends, all around this world.

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

When I heard about Greg's passing yesterday evening, I did not find the right words (and if you know me, that tells you something already ...). Not sure if that has changed now, but I will try anyway.

Although I've never had the pleasure to meet Greg Stafford in person, reading all the comments in this thread, I'm ... moved much more, than I would have expected only 2 days ago. And that tells me, that he has touched me and influenced me more than I was aware.

I had my first contact with Glorantha in the beginning/mid-eighties of the last century on a small RPG meeting in Berlin, Germany. A young french GameMaster had prepared an adventure in the Apple Lane area for introducing RQ3.

GM: "I have prepared some characters for you: a Humakti, i.e. kind of a warrior-priest, a nomad, a primitive and a duck."

Me: "Wait! Did you say a duck?"

GM: "Yes. You can play a duck in Runequest."

Me: "Then this is my character!"

And so I was hooked instantly to Glorantha. And this would become one of my most cherished RPG sessions as a player.

From that point whenever I thought about a Fantasy world, which was not simply a copy of the other great fantasy setting, J.R.R. Tolkiens Middle-Earth, I thought 'Glorantha'.

At this time I was not able to use Glorantha for my own games, but after a long break I returned to the hobby some years ago, and I've decided immediately to use Glorantha now. And after detecting the Guide to Glorantha I was hooked even more.

Also, I was always interested in the Arthurian Legends and the different versions to tell them (T.H. White, Marian Zimmer Bradley, Mary Stewart, etc.). And guess, whom I met again here. Greg Stafford and his King Arthur Pendragon!

So obviously Greg Stafford has influenced me in several areas. He will be greatly missed.

My sympathies are with his family and his friends at Chaosium as with all the friends, that he made all over the world.

And all his fans I hail: Let's take up his torch and bear it further to honour Greg Stafford's memory by playing his games and researching and developing his worlds.

The rest is silence ...

Edited by Oracle
  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

I never met Greg, but he was a huge influence. I first came across RQ2, when I was about 11. I totally didn't get it, but I read it nonetheless. The system he created stayed with me longer than the world, but I've drifted back to Glorantha, and I feel happy that Greg lived long enough to see a resurgent return to Glorantha for many with RQ:G, and bereft he has passed on, just as I begin, finally as an adult, to explore the wonderful world he created.

Go well, ahead of your tribe, Shaman, to show the path.
All condolences to your family, who grieve for a great man, and may they take comfort in the love you are held in across the world. 

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

×
×
  • Create New...