Editing Steve Perrin

{{Short description|American game designer (1946–2021)}}
{{For|the English footballer|Steve Perrin (footballer)}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=August 2021}}
{{Infobox writer
| name = Steve Perrin
| image = Steve Perrin 2018.jpg
| image_size =
| caption = Perrin at the 2018 [[Gen Con]]
| pseudonym = 
| birth_name = Stephen Herbert Perrin
| birth_date = {{Birth date|1946|01|22|mf=y}}
| death_date = {{Death date and age|2021|08|13|1946|1|22}}
| birth_place = 
| occupation = [[Game design]]er, [[technical writer]], [[editing|editor]]
| nationality = American
| period =
| genre = [[Role-playing game]]s
| subject =
| movement =
| notableworks = ''[[RuneQuest]]'', ''[[Stormbringer (role-playing game)|Stormbringer]]'',  ''[[Call of Cthulhu (role-playing game)|Call of Cthulhu]]''
| spouse = 
| influences =
| influenced =
| signature =
| website = 
}}
'''Stephen Herbert Perrin''' (January 22, 1946<ref>{{Cite web |last=Miller |first=John Jackson |date=June 10, 2005 |title=Comics Industry Birthdays |url=http://cbgxtra.com/knowledge-base/for-your-reference/comics-industry-birthdays |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110218031356/http://cbgxtra.com/knowledge-base/for-your-reference/comics-industry-birthdays |archive-date=February 18, 2011 |website=[[Comics Buyer's Guide]] |authorlink=John Jackson Miller}}</ref> – August 13, 2021<ref>{{Cite web |last=Branwyn |first=Gareth |date=2021-08-15 |title=Farewell, Steve Perrin, SCA co-founder and creator of RuneQuest |url=https://boingboing.net/2021/08/15/farewell-steve-perrin-sca-co-founder-and-creator-of-runequest.html |access-date=2023-08-11 |website=Boing Boing |language=en-US}}</ref>) was an American [[game designer]] and [[technical writer]]/[[editing|editor]], best known for creating the [[tabletop role-playing game]] ''[[RuneQuest]]'' for [[Chaosium]].

==Early life and education==
Perrin earned a Bachelor of Arts in English from [[San Francisco State University]].{{citation needed|date=August 2021}} Perrin was a founding member in 1966 of the [[Society for Creative Anachronism]] (SCA).<ref name="designers">{{Cite book |last=Appelcline |first=Shannon |title=Designers & Dragons |publisher=Mongoose Publishing |year=2011 |isbn=978-1-907702-58-7}}</ref>{{rp|83}}

==Early career and Chaosium==

One of his first contributions to the world of RPGs was "The Perrin Conventions" in 1976, an alternative set of combat rules for ''[[Dungeons & Dragons]]'', which led to his work on ''RuneQuest''.<ref name="designers" />{{rp|83}}<ref>{{Cite web |date=July 13, 2005 |title=The History of Runequest: A Bright Beginning |url=http://www.maranci.net/rqpastold.htm |access-date=June 22, 2008}}</ref> Perrin wanted more involvement in the role-playing game industry, and with Jeff Pimper he talked to Chaosium about developing a creature book based on ''Dungeons & Dragons'', which they published as ''[[All the Worlds' Monsters]]'' (1977), and was released before the ''[[Monster Manual]]'' from [[TSR, Inc.|TSR]].<ref name="designers" />{{rp|83}} Perrin later worked with [[Steve Henderson (game designer)|Steve Henderson]] and Warren James on an idea for an original gaming system to be used with the world of [[Glorantha]] after a previous design team failed to produce a supplement to an existing game, and [[Ray Turney]] from the original team soon joined them; this new RPG was finally published in 1978 as ''[[RuneQuest]]''.<ref name="designers" />{{rp|83}}

Perrin officially joined Chaosium in 1981, although he only stayed with the company for a few years.<ref name="designers" />{{rp|83–84}} He was one of several authors who contributed to their licensed ''[[Thieves' World (role-playing game)|Thieves' World]]'' (1981) supplement.<ref name="designers" />{{rp|85}} Perrin designed ''[[Worlds of Wonder (game)|Worlds of Wonder]]'' (1982), which was the third game released by Chaosium using their ''[[Basic Role-Playing]]'' system (''BRP'').<ref name="designers" />{{rp|86}} ''[[Superworld]]'' was originally one of worlds designed for ''Worlds of Wonder'' and was then published as its own game in 1983, although it was merely moderately successful and Perrin later admitted its similarity to ''[[Champions (role-playing game)|Champions]]'' from [[Hero Games]].<ref name="designers" />{{rp|87}} In 1984 he wrote the ''BRP'' based ''[[Elfquest (role-playing game)|Elfquest]]'', based on the ''[[Elfquest]]'' comic book.<ref name="designers" />{{rp|87}} While at Chaosium he also created ''[[Stormbringer (role-playing game)|Stormbringer]]'',  and contributed to ''[[Call of Cthulhu (role-playing game)|Call of Cthulhu]]''.

==Later career==
[[Hero Games]] published its sixth RPG, ''[[Robot Warriors]]'' (1986), by Perrin.<ref name="designers" />{{rp|147}} He also wrote the 1987 ''[[Champions (role-playing game)|Champions]]'' role-playing game supplement ''The Voice of Doom''.

He worked at [[Interplay Entertainment|Interplay Productions]], [[Maxis]], and [[Spectrum Holobyte]], doing game design, playtesting, and writing manuals for such [[personal computer game|computer games]] as ''[[Mechanized Assault & Exploration]]'', ''[[Star Trek: Starfleet Academy (video game)|Star Trek: Starfleet Academy]]'', and ''[[Descent to Undermountain]]''. He also worked freelance for many of the major companies in the games industry including [[TSR, Inc.|TSR]], [[FASA Corporation|FASA]], [[Hero Games]], [[West End Games]], and [[Iron Crown Enterprises]].

''[[Steve Perrin's Quest Rules]]'' (SPQR) was sold independently through [[Chaos Limited]]. In 2004, he collaborated with [[Taldren]] on ''[[Black 9 Ops]]'', which Perrin decided to make available for free.

In 2010, Perrin began creating PDF adventures for the games ''Icons'' and ''[[Mutants & Masterminds]]'', and completed several scenarios for [[Vigilance Press]] and [[Fainting Goat Press]]. In 2019, he returned to Chaosium as a creative consultant.<ref>{{Cite web |last=O'Brien |first=Michael |title=Steve Perrin returns to Chaosium as a creative consultant |url=https://www.chaosium.com/blogsteve-perrin-returns-to-chaosium-as-a-creative-consultant/ |website=chaosium.com |publisher=[[Chaosium]] |accessdate=September 2, 2020}}</ref> In 2020, he contributed to the ''[[Wild Cards]]'' novel ''American Hero''.{{Citation needed|date=September 2020}}

On August 13, 2021, Chaosium announced Perrin's death.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Meints |first=Rick |title=Vale and farewell, Steve Perrin (1946 - 2021) |url=https://www.chaosium.com/blogvale-and-farewell-steve-perrin-1946-2021/ |website=chaosium.com |publisher=[[Chaosium]] |authorlink1=Rick Meints |accessdate=August 14, 2021}}</ref>

== References ==
{{Reflist|30em}}

== External links ==
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20191202045444/http://www.limitedchaos.com/ ''Chaos Limited'', Steve Perrin's personal website on Internet Archive Wayback Machine]
* [http://www.archive-host.com/compteur.php?url=http://sd-1.archive-host.com/membres/up/186124882939900327/perrin-conventions.doc ''The Perrin Conventions'']
* [https://www.mobygames.com/developer/sheet/view/developerId,4232/ Steve Perrin] at [[MobyGames]]
*[https://www.rpg.net/columns/advanced-designers-and-dragons/advanced-designers-and-dragons54.phtml?fbclid=IwAR05jTyWz5K2qdGaO3dvjiTvng9-KLr-UaVMI8z6kwViBR9YfHEvn5u5xPI Advanced Designers & Dragons #54: Giants of the Industry: Steve Perrin]

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[[Category:1946 births]]
[[Category:2021 deaths]]
[[Category:American video game designers]]
[[Category:Chaosium game designers]]
[[Category:Dungeons & Dragons game designers]]