Nationality Austrian—Canadian Died October 14, 2009 Role Game designer | Name Wilf Backhaus Period 1972–2009 | |
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Born November 7, 1946Freckenhorst, Germany ( 1946-11-07 ) Occupation Writer, game designer, lawyer, business professor Genre Role-playing games, fantasy, wargames | ||
Wilfried Karl Backhaus (7 November 1946 – 14 October 2009) was a role-playing game designer, business professor, and lawyer.
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Career
Wilf K. Backhaus and Edward E. Simbalist designed a role-playing game called Chevalier, which they brought to Gen Con IX in 1976 with hopes to sell it to TSR; after witnessing Gary Gygax berate a staff member, Simbalist decided not to approach Gygax about the game. At the convention, they met Scott Bizar of Fantasy Games Unlimited, who was interested in the game and helped guide it to print over the next year as Chivalry & Sorcery, the first RPG from FGU. Published in 1977, Chivalry & Sorcery (C&S) was an early competitor to Dungeons & Dragons. Backhaus and Simbalist also authored The Chivalry & Sorcery Sourcebook (1978), and Chivalry & Sorcery, 2nd edition (1984).
Backhaus founded the "Loyal Order of Chivalry & Sorcery" (Locs) and was a baron in the SCA. He was also a published philosopher. Most recently he moderated a panel during a conference at University of Maryland, College Park and was a special guest at the Calgary Games Convention (CalCon).
Death
On 14 October 2009 Backhaus died following a two-year battle with cancer.