Erick Wujcik
This website is dedicated to Erick Wujcik, game designer, writer, artist, originator of ideas, thinker and kind soul. Friend to countless people and an inspiration to thousands upon thousands more.
He is one of my dearest friends, so it is with a heavy heart that I report Erick Wujcik, age 56, is dying of cancer.
Until a few weeks ago, Erick was healthy and doing fine. He was enjoying his work at Totally Games, a videogame company, when he thought he had come down with the flu. When he couldn’t shake it, he went to the doctors. The prognosis was unexpected, to say the least. Pancreatic cancer that had spread to his liver. There was no advance warning. It was a shock. Erick presses forward with the willful exuberance he has exhibited all his life.
We thought about letting people know after Christmas, but Erick’s time is, all too quickly, running out.
We thought it would be wonderful to give the millions of people who have loved the man and enjoyed his games, the opportunity to express their appreciation for him and his work. I have no doubt your comments and remembrances will put a smile on Erick’s face and help his spirit soar.
While this is sad news that weighs heavily on our hearts, we’d like this website, and the comments posted on it, to be a celebration of Erick’s wonderful life.
Just as you did when Palladium announced its Crisis of Treachery, let Erick know how much you have enjoyed his games and ideas. How Ninja Turtles (or Amber or whatever) turned you on to gaming or opened up your mind to new possibilities, and similar commentaries, thoughts and regards. I know your kind words and warm remembrances will put a smile on his face and warm his soul.
We’ve chosen to go with a blog style. Post as often as you’d like. Share your recollections about encounters with Erick, the first time you heard him speak or met him at a convention, what he and his work have meant to you, funny convention stories, and whatever else feels right.
The Erick I know
I’ve often said two things about Erick Wujcik, 1) that he is a true game designing genius, and 2) that he is a true Bohemian.
The game design genius. I’ve known a great many people who have claimed to be a genius at game design or covet the title, but Erick really is a genius, at least when it comes to game design. He mastered the art of storytelling and understands the dynamics of game design better than anyone I’ve ever met. Erick has created more great games that have never been completed and published than most game designers dream about.
That drives me and others a little crazy, because Erick’s quick mind leaps from one great idea to the next with the exuberance of a child lunging from one present to the next on Christmas Day. Like that child, he is enthralled with his new toy – new idea – until something else catches his attention. Unfortunately, that sometimes means his great ideas are left unfinished, but boy, are they exciting, and I’ve had the privilege of hearing many of them.
That’s the other aspect of Erick’s genius, his enthusiasm and hunger for new ideas, and desire to stretch the boundaries of convention, is contagious. He can get you (certainly me) excited and going with an idea faster than anyone I know. To Erick, there are no limits or boundaries. “Why not” and “what if” and “how about” are essential parts of Erick’s vocabulary. If you float an idea or notion of any merit, he seizes it and starts to postulate on its premise and potential. “That’s cool, but what if . . .”
I cannot tell you how often Erick and I would feed on each other, throwing out ideas and building on suggestions and excitement until we both collapsed laughing and exhausted. Sometimes those idea sessions (often impromptu) went nowhere other than fun, playful mental exercises. Other times they’d lead to new perceptions, new realms of possibility, and published works or a personal epiphany.
Erick helped me fine-tune parts of the Palladium role-playing game universal game system way back when. Not at some office (heck, we were both working out of our homes), but at a laundromat on Michigan Avenue in southwest Detroit. I was second guessing myself and frustrated. Erick had to wash his clothes. So we met at a place near my house and chatted about character creation, the elements that made them fun, which attributes were necessary, were eight too many, etc., while waiting for his clothes to wash and folding his shirts. The people around us must have thought we were crazy. So did my ex-wife when Erick would “drop by for an hour” at 8:00 P.M. to talk about a new idea or something he read, and at midnight he and I would be still be going strong, excitedly talking about . . . god only knows till the wee hours of the morning. Awesome. By then we would have moved well beyond the original reason he stopped by. I love talking to Erick about anything and everything. From game and story ideas or new concepts, to the application of psychology or technology or theology, to personal thoughts, fears, dreams and aspirations.
Erick the Bohemian. I call Erick a true Bohemian, because I don’t think I know anybody who enjoys life more deeply than Erick. He loves meeting new people, visiting new places, exploring new ideas, tasting new food, and taking in everything and everyone around him. Furthermore, his personal circumstances are always secondary to his enjoyment of his surroundings and the people in them. Erick’s sense of wonder is endless. We’re similar in that regard, as we both love new ideas and quickly see the endless possibilities they represent. But Erick simply immerses himself in them and floats along just enjoying wherever they may take him. He’s not necessarily looking to figure out how to apply them or exploit them, at least not at that moment of discovery, he’s simply adrift in them and soaking in all they have to offer.
Money, fame and recognition are nice, and Erick isn’t going to turn any of them away, but they aren’t necessities. Rich or poor, Erick has never changed. Maybe he enjoys a little more luxury, but it’s the experience of interacting with people, the exchange of ideas and sheer pleasure of experiencing something new that brings Erick joy. That, and creating and inspiring others to push the envelope and imagine beyond the known limits.
Gosh, there are so many stories I could tell, but I’ll stop here, for now. While I’m smiling, ear to ear, in the warmth of my friendship.
On behalf of Erick Wujcik and his many friends and admirers,
– Kevin Siembieda – December 22, 2007
Publisher and owner of Palladium Books® Inc., game designer, writer, artist and lucky son of gun for having Erick Wujcik as one of my dearest friends for nearly 30 years. Your light will live on, Erick, in your published works and in the hearts and minds of the multitude of people whose souls you have touched and made better for it. Love ya.
Kevin
There are a million stories I could tell about Erick Wujcik. Seriously, a fucking million of ‘em.
How we met. How he conceived of the Detroit Gaming Center and how he, I and six or eight other brave souls made it a reality. Or tales about the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles RPG, Aliens Among Us, Entropy, Phage Press, Amber, Roger Zelazny, the Kuch, Erick’s discovery of Kevin Long, Erick’s days at the Detroit News, our four hour long telephone calls (about nothing and everything), adventures in game mastering, ideas we shared, theories on game design, the dark side of the force, using our powers for good, and a heck of a lot more. There are just so many stories and adventures in a friendship that has stretched across time for 28 short years.
I think the one I’d like to tell today, is bit of Palladium unknown history. You see, when Palladium and I were in our greatest trouble, Erick Wujcik was the rock upon which I stood.
In recent years, Palladium has suffered its share of betrayal, treachery and damage. I’m sure most of you have heard about the grievous damage inflicted upon us by embezzlement and theft at the hands of a long-time and trusted friend and employee. It almost put Palladium Books® out of business. There were other heartaches and emotional trials too, my divorce, my son’s battle with drug addiction, the passing of loved ones, and more. Personal strife and challenges I try to keep quiet and private. Erick Wujcik is one of those personal stories I’d like to share now.
A lot of wonderful friends poured out of the woodwork to help me when I was down. Chief among them were the Palladium crew, Alex, Wayne, Julius, Hank, and Kathy. All made huge contributions and personal sacrifices to keep Palladium Books from going out of business and watch my back. There are a host of others – my investors, printer, attorneys, accountant and an army of friends, old and new – who would, ultimately, come to Palladium’s aid and rally at our side. Thank you everyone, and I don’t mean to diminish your critical roles and contributions to Palladium’s ongoing battles, by focusing on Erick. I hope you understand.
Erick Wujcik did as much, or more, than anyone to save Palladium and to save me.
When Palladium needed it most, Erick Wujcik raised approximately $260,000. He knows everybody on the planet, so when we were in trouble, he called a couple dozen friends and said (in short), “Kevin’s in trouble. He needs money. You have it. Give him some. I’ll personally vouch for him. He’ll pay you back every dime.” Erick is so trusted and loved, that these people, many of whom I only knew in passing via association with Erick, others I never knew at all before then, lent me gobs of money when no sane person should have.
That would be impressive and heroic all by itself, except that’s only a small part of the story.
When my business and personal life was a swirling tornado of emotion, change, sorrow, and chaos, Erick Wujcik was there. He was there to offer a shoulder to lean on. He offered advice, worked to keep me on the right track, and to keep me sane.
Despite all the problems and treachery, I might have been able to keep Palladium up and alive without Erick’s help. Ultimately, it was my idea to make the public appeal, an idea Erick was strongly opposed to for various reasons. But I don’t know if I would have emerged from it as the better, kinder, wiser person I believe I have become.
I certainly doubt I would have emerged whole and unscarred.
Without Erick’s presence, I fear I might have given in to anger and hate. I might have fallen to sorrow and despair. I might have crumbled under the terrible stress, crushing sadness and Herculean task of rebuilding that now loomed before me. At every turn there seemed to be a new crisis, a new obstacle, or a new disappointment.
It’s hard to articulate the magnitude of Palladium’s dire situation or the burden that laid squarely on my shoulders without sounding a bit dramatic. I apologize for that, but they were dramatic events and it is important to understand that, because Erick was there to make sure I didn’t not falter or snap under the weight of it all. And if I stumbled, Erick was there to help me back to my feet, offer help, and point me down the right path.
Erick did all this in simple yet spectacular fashion. During the divorce he insisted I see a therapist. He made the arrangements with a friend. (Did I mention Erick knows everybody on the planet?) This gentle and caring soul, Robert Justice, helped me immeasurably. He also pointed me at a divorce recovery group and insisted I join. That group helped me too. I met my sweetheart, Kathy Simmons, in that group and made a half-dozen friends that have lasted to this day. Group help put things in perspective and provided fellow souls who understood the pain, with which to commiserate. Kathy would prove to be an anchor to help ground me and show me what was really important, as well as a source of joy and laughter in dark times for us both. She too kept me sane and provided a safe refuge where I could retreat.
None of this would have happened without Erick Wujcik, and the story doesn’t end there.
At the time, I was emotionally fried, so when Erick came to me one day with that booming voice and winning smile of his, and suggested I rent him an office where he could work, I said yes. After all, just as Erick pointed out, Palladium had extra office space, we could use the money, and he needed a place to work. In my delirium, I bought that hook, line and sinker. Only Erick was living with beautiful Kate, and didn’t need a place to work.
It would be a couple of years before I realized it was Erick’s sneaky way of moving in to take care of me. To make sure I was getting enough rest, eating properly, and that my mind was clear and focused. He made me laugh, fed me ideas to keep me thinking, and offered calm in the eye of the storm. Whether Erick was in the office 20 feet away or thousands of miles away in China, he was a force in my life. Calling by phone, sending e-mails and links to things he thought I’d like to see. Things to fuel my imagination. Things to motivate and inspire me. Things to think about. Things to reaffirm what we were doing. Things to keep me sane, whole and positive. Things to help me down the right path. Things to help me recover and grow from the most trying period of my life.
When Erick called to tell me he was dying, he started to cry and said, “Kev, I’m so sorry to put you through this, you’ve already gone through so much.”
That’s my sweet friend, Erick. Even facing his own mortality rushing at him like a devouring Yema, his concern was for me, not himself. That sums up Erick pretty well. He is a living testament to love and friendship that most people can only dream about.
Thank you, Erick, for being my friend. Thank you for sharing your exuberance for life and your zillions of ideas with me. Thank you for being a buddy and a mentor. You’ve helped shape me in so many ways I could never repay you if you lived to be 500.
I have to chuckle, because as I reread this post, it sounds rather like the classic hero’s struggle of epic mythology. And now, as a new chapter is about to unfold for me and Palladium, in that classic tradition, you, my friend and mentor, are about to leave me. I must continue on the rest of my journey without you. Without you, but not alone, for I carry with me everything I learned from you. I’m armed with the knowledge and wisdom you helped me discover. I’m strengthened by your love and inspired by your joy of life. Though you won’t be at my side, I will not falter. I will make you proud. I will be everything you and Florence, and other good, noble souls have helped me to become.
Thank you, Erick for always believing in me and for saving me when I was afraid I would become lost. Thank you for being you. For being my friend, and for being a source of light to so many people.
As I told you, I know the tears I shed are born from selfishness, because I’ll miss you so much, my sweet friend. But those tears are being replaced by smiles every time I think about you and our shared lunacy. I even chuckle when I think about your passing from this dimension of reality, because I can’t get this image out my head: I see my Mom and Roger Zelazny waiting to escort you to join the Court of Celestial Heroes as a new Immortal, and as you walk pass the Yama Kings, each bows or goes down on bended knee. Ah, the new adventures you will have and the stories you will spin. Silly, I know. And yet …
Your Friend Always,
Kevin Siembieda
© December 22, 2007
John C.
I first was introduced to Erick as a Gatekeeper. His goal was to weigh my heart and mind, and see if I was worthy. I can’t say how rather intimidating it was to be sized up by Erick. With such an amazing carreer, and a living ledgend to all that know him, I was asked to stand before him and answer all his questions. Somehow I feel he let me off on a pass. Maybe its because we both are collectors of the rare and usual, but probably because I just wore him down. As it turned out, what should have been a quick evaluation turned into a long, and winding conversation that opened my eyes to many thing.
Upon getting Erick’s “thumbs up”, was let into gates of Palladium Books and the dark den at the end of the hall. While I have talked to Kevin several times over the years, it wasn’t until this point that Kevin and I really had a chance to hit it off. If it wasn’t for your help Erick, I don’t think Kev and I would have been able to become as close as we have in such an amazingly short time. I owe you a great deal of thanks for this.
You have been Selfless in helping us. Kind to share your wisdom with me. Dangerous, because you understand. And Wonderful, because you are you.
I look forward to seeing you at the next Gate.
John Cooney
Nemo235
Eric,
Thank you for providing years of wild fun for my family and friends.
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles was one of the first RPGs I played, and I still play it to this day. It stands above all the others, as do you and your wonderful imagination.
God bless you and your family, stay strong and have a good holiday.
Paul Schaefer
hippie_mama
Hey Erick! I don’t know you personally, but I am a huge fan. It sounds cliche, but you are truly one of the best minds of our time. I had the honor of hearing you speak to a crowd of fans at the ’07 Palladium Open House. Your charisma and wit are true magic.
I played TMNT on the playground before I knew what an RPG was. The boys always made me play April until I put my foot down and demanded to play Rapheal. They listened. Now I run my own games, and watch my children run around and play “Mom and Dad’s role-playing games” too. It’s crazy how they pick stuff up just by watching.
Preacher
He is simply one of the greatest of them all!!! Too sad to say anymore.
Maryann
I’ve know Erick almost as long as I’ve know Kevin. Words alone can’t express my sorrow when Kev told me the news about Erick. He has been one of the strongest, most patient, courageous people I’ve ever known. He’s an uncle to my kids and a true friend to me. He’s been there in the best of times and the worst of times. Watching Erick fly around conventions at light speed is a site to behold. Watching him run a game is even more spectacular. I’ve watched him walk new players through a game and show them the love and depth of his passion for his art. He’s made true believers our of all of us on more than one occasion. Your love for Kay is an example we should all follow for how a relationship is suppose to work. You will be missed my dear friend, you’ve touched so many peoples hearts throughout your life. Mere words can’t express my gratitude to you for everything you’ve given to me in my life. See you on the other side, my dear, dear friend.
jasonrichards
I had the pleasure of speaking to Erick in-depth for a long time one night in May, and I had trouble even keeping up. His depth of knowledge and imagination humbled me. Erick is a true innovator and I can do nothing but wish him the best, and the same for his family this Christmas.
God bless,
Jason Richards
Jspence
Erick,
I would also like to thank you for the many great game and the numerous adventures with my friends that I will remember forever. TMNT was my first exposure to a Palladium game and I loved it. We expanded our library to near exclusive Palladium games; PFRPG, Rifts, Ninjas and Superspies (my favorite) and more. Some of my gaming friends, even though scattered across the Northwest, get together when we can to play a N&S game I started in 1995 and the stories of those characters are brought up even now. Those type of memories are hard to come by in this world and I (along with my friends) thank you from the bottom of my heart. You are immortalized by your games and wonderful ideas.
I also recall briefly meeting you at GenCon 2000 while at the Palladium booth. I wish their had been more time to talk, but I believe you were running off to intimidate (in a good way, his words!) Ben Lucas over lunch. I did purchase a new copy of N&S for your signature, even though I had 3 well worn copies at home. It was a privilege and an honor to meet you and I my thoughts will be with you and your family. Take care and keep smiling!
Jon Spence.
Matt-M-McElroy
Thanks for years of fun and tons of great memories. You are truly an inspiration.
reagren_wright
Eric,
I met you at the Palladium Open House (2007) and enjoyed listening to you talk about the business and how to be a writer. It was inspiring. I am a huge fan of the Turtle Books, After the Bomb, Dragons & Gods, and Ninja and Super Spies. But
your greatest Palladium creation has to be the Terror Bears. They remain my favorite villains of all time. You are a creative gengius. God bless you and your
family, and enjoy this Holiday season. Glen A Evans
Great geniuses have their empire, their renown, their greatness, their victory, and
their lustre, and have no need of material grandeurs, with which they have no relation. They are not seen with the eyes, but with the mind; that is enough.
Blaise Pascal 1670
skystreak
I had the pleasure of meeting you at the Palladium Open House in 2008, and was even luckier to be able to play in your Mystic China game. It was one of the best gaming experiences I have ever had. We were all able to have the silly, around the table moments that make RPGs so fun, but due to your ability to create such a vivid setting, the sense of immersion was never broken. It was the highlight of the ’08 Open House for me.
Not to mention the fact that you’re the guy who wrote TMNT, which is the game that locked me into a love of RPGs since. I had played other RPGs before that, but TMNT made me a convert.
This is supposed to be a season of miracles, and I’m hoping for one right now.
You’re in my thoughts and prayers.
trechriron
Eric,
I played in your system-less improv time traveling adventure at Dragonflight in 2006. It was so amazing. You somehow made the whole time-loop conundrum both entertaining and understandable. It was incredible! You are a fantastic GM, amazing game designer and creative genius. I send you many blessings for the months ahead. May your next journey be filled with as much joy as you have shared in this one.
Sincerely,
Clyde Lee Graham
Erick,
I’m not sure you’d remember me but I occasionally used to game at the Lighthouse (where I think we met once or twice). Gary Thomas Washington was a roommate of mine, and I also used to game with John and Angie Hill. Sadly, I never had the pleasure of being in one of your games.
In any case, you brought much fun into my life. Both my TMNT and my Amber books have been replaced more than once from use. I never did get anyone to join me in a Ninjas and Superspies game, but it was a regular source of inspiration.
From the bottom of my heart, thank you. We will miss you.
Arden
I only met Erick once; a few years ago at Dragon Con. I sadly didn’t get the chance to game with him because the weekend was so hectic, but I did hear him speak and his love for what he did was right there for all to see. We had exchanged emails beforehand as I was trying to order an Amber t-shirt, which he agreed to bring to the Con for me. The one I wanted was out of stock, so he gave me an alternate one – gratis.
He supported what we were doing with the Shadows of Amber forum, and was nice enough to find time to post over there to answer questions for awhile. He has always come across to me as smart, friendly, generous, and generally an awesome person.
Over the years, some people have complained about Amber DRPG for one reason or another (as people do), but I have always loved that game more then any other. Part of it is the world, yes. But diceless role playing to me was the greatest thing ever to happen in my gaming experience, and since the fateful day I was introduced to it, I have been hopelessly addicted to it. I haven’t rolled dice in years. I’ve met and friended some of the very best people anywhere through Amber, and I owe that to Erick.
So, thank you, Erick. For the things you’ve done that effected my life, and for even the things that didn’t. It’s been a pleasure interacting with you. My thoughts are with you and your family.
Theresa Thomas
Rel Fexive
Damn.
I wish I had great stories about how Erick inspired me somehow, or changed my life. All I’ve got is how much fun I’ve had playing his games, from the weird-but-fun glory days of TMNT to the heady heights of years playing Amber. I just give what I’ve got.
Here’s to the game master.
izzylobo
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. Amber Diceless role-playing. Just those two games alone would be sufficient to lock Erick Wujcik into the game designer hall of fame. But Erick has done so much more over the years that the telling would be a tale in itself. I don’t think, in my years in the industry, I’ve ever heard anyone say anything bad about him, either – which can be a feat in itself).
You have brought adventure and good times to countless gamers, Erick. Thanks for the good times.
Scott Taylor
fred.hicks
This is awful news and it’s going to take a while for it to really sink in.
Whether playing the ADRPG or responding to it in my own games, there is no other game that is truly as influential on my gaming life — which has since become even more of a core of who I am than it was — as the one that came along one day and slapped me upside the head with concepts I simply had not seen anywhere else.
In many real ways, Erick is the man that is the reason I know the people I know today (including, obliquely, my wife). I met most of my adult, post-college friends through some kind of Amber gaming, and that’s gaming that would never have happened without “the Wuj” and the incredible Amber Diceless RPG. Those friends become my professional network when I exited college and started looking for a job in the internet; it was at that first job that I met my wife.
A number of years back I had the pleasure of playing in a convention one-shot run by Erick at Ambercon Northwest. I think it took about half an hour for me to cause the Pattern-ghost of Eric of Amber to chop off my arm–and that was just the beginning. It was a breathless four-hour-plus game where the stakes felt very real and palpable. It was a nail-biting triumph when I — the guy with absolutely no Trump mojo whatsoever — remembered at the eleventh hour that we all had Family Decks and Eric was in it and managed to pull off a group assault that saved the day at the absolute last moment.
No GM has ever so thoroughly, instantly terrified me — in all the good ways — as Erick did. He plays for keeps, and makes you swing for the fences. Anything less is to be disrespectful of the intense energy he brought, not to mention the incredible physical presence. You responded to Erick at the table with emotion and immediacy, because you simply couldn’t do anything else.
My thoughts are with him, and will continue to be with him, now, and into the future.
Good-bye and hello, as always.
GAAAHHHH
Thanks for many years of good times. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, Ninjas and Superspies, Palladium Fantasy, and Rifts took up a good portion of my youth. My thoughts and prayers are with you.
JSpencer
I got to know Erick through his marvelous Amber Diceless Roleplaying game, first as a fan and later as an Ambercon convention organizer. He is a wonderful guy with great vision, joy de vivre and a heart of gold.
I’ve been through many games and many fandoms, but Amber remains special to me; I’ve never come across a game before or since that stands out as so unique among RPG’s and yet works so well. Through it, I’ve made many good friends and many treasured memories. Though I haven’t played the game much or been to a con in years now, Amber became so much a part of my life that I doubt I’ll ever really leave it behind.
Erick, it’s been and continues to be a privilege to know you. Duane and I wish you the best and will be keeping you in our thoughts.
Love,
Jo Ann Spencer
Adam
Eric- so much has been said already and yet as i sit here trying to come up with the words to describe how this immense sadness has come over me, i am at a loss for words.
I remember when i was a small child how i used to think that you were a giant straight out of the Palladium Fantasy roleplaying game. You used to Tower over my sister and I and i thought that your great big beard and thunderous laugh were something out of this world. I will always cherish that laugh and the big huge smile that always came with it. You were a uncle to myself and monica like you will never even know and i have a huge crater in my heart knowing that i will not have the chance to see that smile again and the immence knoweledge that came along with you where-ever you went. Eric, you are truely loved and you will always have a huge place in my heart.
adam
ghost989
I had the privledge of meeting Erick last May @ the Palladium open House. I was also able to sit in on a PFrpg adventure he GM’ed. It was on the Friday night “VIP” event. It was a short adventure(to short) that I wish could have gone on for alot longer. He was excellent at all aspects of running the session. He did more than just tell the story he made it come alive for you and your character specifically. I could have sat there all night. In fact most of the people were cleared out before anyone in our group realized it was after midnight(I think). In the little time I got to be aorund him he stuck me as a very genuine person and someone I would have been honored to call a friend. The world will be a little less bright after his passing. He was the kind of person we should all aspire to be.
Jules Morley
Erick’s work has had a profound effect on my life.
It was thanks to the Amber DRPG that I first read Zelazny’s Chronicles of Amber.
It was because of the Amber DRPG that I had such an awesome first not-date with my wife-to-be.
It was at AmberCon US that I first met Erick, was fortunate enough to play in a game with him, and watched a master at work.
The Amber DRPG changed how I viewed Roleplaying Games, and Erick’s writing fundamentally altered how I ran those games. Without his work I would never have met half of my friends.
Thank you, Erick.
Corey
Almost 20 years ago my older brother brought home an RPG game written by Erick. I grew up around it, absorbed it and because of that my life-long love of games blossomed. A couple of months ago circumstances led me to being gifted with an amazing opportunity to work professionally in video game design. The new year will herald a massive change for me. I’ll be gifted with an opportunity to do what I love for a living. None of it would have happened were it not for you writing that RPG game. Thank you.
Rob Barrett
Mystic China remains one of my favorite supplements to this day. Thank you for writing it, Mr. Wujcik.
Carl Gleba
Hello Erick,
I can’t begin to thank you for all that you done for me and the gaming community as a whole. You’ve given us a piece of yourself in everything book you’ve written. You’ve inspired thousands of us to have adventures, to seek out new lands (like China and the Yama Kings), to play fuzzy animals or cool reptiles, you taught roll players how to play without dice and for me you even gave advice on writing. You may not remember but you answered some questions for me on the Palladium forums. It’s helped inspire me, it encouraged me and to this day I still try and read my work out loud. We don’t even know each other and you freely gave advice and encouragement and I thank you for it. I regret not having met you at the Palladium Open house this year. From everything Kevin has told me about you and from what I’ve read it sounds like you are a kind and gentle soul who is the kind of friend anyone would be lucky to have. You are a legend, an immortal that will live on in our hearts, our minds and our games for as long as there are role-players.
Keep positive and as Kevin has said I hope you continue to enjoy life to the fullest.
Respectfully,
Carl Gleba
BHansen
Erick,
I read about the news over at the Palladium website and while I don’t know you personally I wanted to say a few words about how much I enjoyed the RPGs you’ve written.
The Amber diceless game and Shadow Knight are the best RPGs I’ve ever read. They really captured the intrigue of the novels and I loved all the different versions of the characters. I was really hoping to see another book out on Rebma one of these days. Even with these books out of print I still see a strong following on the internet for Amber. A big part of that is because of the fantastic writing and campaign ideas presented in those two books.
Who can forget TMNT? It was my introduction into the Palladium game system and my first gaming experience outside of the fantasy genre. My mutant Doberman Pincer Max who knew ninjitsu was a blast to play. If it wasn’t for that game and the fun time I had playing it I might not have gotten into palladium at all. All of the cool time traveling ideas and alternate dimensions in Transdimensional kept me playing that character for 5 years and we still hadn’t run out of ideas!
Ninja’s and Superspies is another great one. Just today my own sons were reading it for the first time and talking about how cool it would be to start a “super secret spy agency and fight kung fu guys.” My first impressions of the book where pretty much the same before they were born.
What I guess I’m trying to say is thank you. From the Primal Pattern all the way down to the super secret kung fu guys it’s been a blast!
prophetsteve
Though I didn’t know you personally, your games have been and still are a big part of my life. Your books inspired me and gave me untold hours of entertainment, both at the game table and reading them in the quiet moments at home. I am deeply saddened by the news of your illness. You will be sorely missed.
My prayers are with you and your family.
God bless.
Robin D. Laws
Erick is without question a seminal figure in the short history of roleplaying games. For as long as our young art form persists, his ground-breaking work will be remembered and valued. Erick’s influence constantly informs the way we play now and will continue to be felt in the work of new designers in the years to come.
iborchar
Thanks for Amber (even though I never actually played it diceless). It was a wonderful source of ideas for many things that I designed and ran. Many of my players would thank you for the concept of Good Stuff, except then they would also had to acknowledge you as the inventor of Bad Stuff, and of the two, which do you think they would be more likely to have? And concepts such as “Named & Numbered” – wonderful. And whilst I never played TMNT, compulsive collector that I am, I do have a complete set of them and enjoyed reading them very much. Thankyou. Our thoughts are with you.
Jamie1km
Erick,
You were one of the game industry personalities that I always hoped to meet, but somehow over the years I never did. Regardless, you were an inspiration to me. The form of story that can be created by game has been my passion for so long, but your work challenged my original ideas and preconceived notions. Some of the things you wrote in your designs were things I had already tried in my games but had never seen recommended in a published work, ever — while many were things that I probably never would have thought of on my own were it not for you.
Years later, I am a published writer and designer with a number of published credits under my belt. But the material you wrote years before me informed much of my work, and you’ll see it sprinkled in things from Serenity to SnarfQuest. It literally would have not been the same without you, and my personal games would not have been nearly as fun. I’d like to express my thanks you to you for both. Others have been lucky enough to know you — and game with you — personally. But I’m still very grateful to have the words you’ve written. You’ll continue to inspire.
Jamie Chambers
jimpinto
There are very few people I could say that I continue to learn from. Eric is among them. I had the pleasure of gaming with Eric before I was a game designer and years later when I become one.
He remains, one of the finest examples of humility and grace the industry has left.
I wish you all that I can offer.
Sangye la kyap su chio.
Sam Chupp
Eric’s creation of the Amber Diceless Roleplaying Game touched my life and shaped who I am as a designer today. His ideas of putting story first and trusting the process of player interaction was revolutionary at the time. I would not be the same writer, game designer, or player without his influence – he gave me many hours of entertainment and joy. I am terribly saddened that I’ve never met him, as he was one of the heroes of game design that I most desperately wanted to meet. I can only hope his life from now on is marked with peace, comfort, love, and the reflected glory of all who owe him benison for his lifes’ work.
Dawgstar
Erick,
You gave me an awesome game wherein I and my friend could play mutated animals (and even eventually dinosaurs! This was the BEST THING EVER), and many years of entertainment and excitement. TMNT was the first book that got me to start looking seriously at role-playing games as a real hobby, and something I really wanted to be a part of. You have my thanks, and my prayers.
Long live Doc Feral!
Your Fan,
Matt Penn
flymolo
Amber was my first introduction to powerful PCs, diceless roleplaying, and non dungeon crawls. It has a permanent place on my shelf.
Some of the best games I have run and played are thanks to you.
Brooklyn Red Leg
I had the pleasure of meeting Erick back at DragonCon in 2001. I listened to some of his stories about gaming and such and thought ‘How the bloody hell does he hide that big brain inside his head?’ I’d like to think I’m a little smart. I felt like a drooling idiot when talking to Erick simply because I was amazed at his breadth of knowledge and his articulation. I’ve read numerous books he wrote, many of them for Palladium Books some for West End Games such as his work on Paranoia. I can’t help but think of the funky Mecha Su-Dai rules of martial arts pit fighting in Return of the Masters for the Robotech RPG 1st Edition. When I saw him at Palladium Open House in ’07, he seemed to have that same sense of humor, breadth of knowledge and that slightly mischievous grin that showed he marched to the beat of a drum most of us can’t hear.
May God bless you Mr. Wujick and please know that you have touched many, many lives and made them a little happier for doing so. You are a bright shining example of what many of us should hope to become.
deep7dude
Eric, your stuff was some of the first RPG material I discovered after D&D. My wife Samantha was also a big fan of your work on the Amber game. She succumbed to adenocarcinoma almost 3 years ago, so I know how nasty cancers that attack the liver can be – I also know that attitude was the strongest factor in her survival far beyond the initial prognosis. My thoughts and prayers are with you and your family.
Be well,
Todd Downing
Creative Director, Deep7
chris_slater
Erick,
We’ve never met. To be quite honest, I only vaguely recognized your name when I first started reading this blog… then when I realized all the games that you were a part of and were responsible for, I also realized that you (without either of us being aware) have had an influence on me from some of the earliest years of my gaming. Thanks for the many days and nights of playing some of my favourite games of all time.
I wish you good luck, warm thoughts, and happy times.
Christopher Alan Slater
Vancouver, BC, Canada
Allen Varney
Erick: In 2006 I had the honor of updating your 1986 PARANOIA adventure “Clones in Space” for the reprint collection PARANOIA Flashbacks 2. It was a pleasure to restore this much-loved classic to print for a new generation of paranoiacs. Back then, West End Games gave illustrator Jim Holloway too little time to illustrate the original version to his customary high standard, so it was another great pleasure with this reprint to commission new Holloway illos, which at last match the creativity and hilarity of your text. I also was very happy to reprint two of your fondly remembered contributions to “Acute PARANOIA” (1985), the chapters on drugs and aptitude tests, in the 2004 Mongoose edition of the PARANOIA rulebook.
Early this year, Erick, when I was planning a temporary relocation to Southeast Asia, you unexpectedly called me long-distance from China ( ! ) to offer me informed and very welcome advice. (FYI, I lived in Kuala Lumpur for seven months. But I took your recommendation of Shanghai to heart, and I hope to see China in the next year or two.) I shall always prize that conversation — that kind and gracious gesture — as I prize your many fine contributions to the art of roleplaying game design. Thanks again.
Matt Forbeck
I only met you once to talk with, Erick, back at a Greenfield Hobby Distributors open house in the early ’90s, but I always followed your career. You gave me some kind and inspirational words that day, mostly just shop talk, but it was great to connect with a wiser hand who’d already been down the path I’d found myself on. I probably never thanked you for that, but I’d like to do so now.
I wish our paths had crossed more often and that we’d known each other better. Your work will live on past you, the way you touched so many lives, both as an author as a friend. Although it won’t ever seem like enough for us, it will have to do. And so it will.
My deepest sympathies are with you and your family. Here’s to making the most of every day you have left. Seeing how you’ve lived your life so far, I’m sure you’ll do just that.
yimei
I first met Erick at Ambercon UK ’94, which I attended with my boyfriend. The neat thing is, my boyfriend and I spent most of our first almost-date talking about Amber, and Amber DRPG – which of course Erick wrote. Now, of course, we’re married and expecting our first kid in January.
How ’bout that, Erick? Your writing and imagination has not only brought countless hours of fun and delight to I don’t know how many gamers, it’s also partly responsible for the chain of events leading to new life.
RayL
Wow! Those three letters really sum up Mr. Wujcik in my mind.
Erick, I’ve only met you a few times over the past ten years while attending Ambercon. I am proud to be a part of the tradition you started not so long ago.
Thank you for sharing your imagination and creativity with us all!
Stay strong, keep fighting!
Vrykolas2k
I don’t know you at all except for your games, but… maybe this poem will sum it up:
Do not go gentle into that good night,
Old age should burn and rave at close of day;
Rage, rage against the dying of the light.
Though wise men at their end know dark is right,
Because their words had forked no lightning they
Do not gentle into that good night.
Good men, the last wave by, crying how bright
Their frail deeds might have danced in a green bay,
Rage, rage against the dying of the light.
Wild men who caught and sang the sun in flight,
And learn, too late, they grieved it on its way,
Do not gentle into that good night.
Grave men, near death, who see with blinding sight
Blind eyes could blaze like meteors and be gay,
Rage, rage against the dying of the light.
And you, my father, there on the sad height,
Curse, bless, me now with your fierce tears, I pray.
Do not gentle into that good night.
Rage, rage against the dying of the light.
– Dylan Thomas
I think Mr. Thomas says it better than I could.
Thank you for all you’ve done to brighten lives, whether you knew it or not, with your games. And for being you, to the people who know you.
Mark Hall
Erick,
I’ve been playing games written by you since 1990, when we moved from South Korea to Louisiana and a friend of my brother’s had TMNT&OS; it’s quite likely that your influence is part of the reason I’m a game writer, in any capacity, even though I’ve never met you.
Thank you,
Mark Hall
supplanter
Erick, you don’t know me, though I’ve been on the Amber Mailing List and such places, but I owe you for, now, a solid decade of pleasure. I’ve played versions of the ADRPG for years, and it was thanks to your game that I bothered to read Zelazny’s Amber novels in the first place. Those books have greatly enriched my life. The ADRPG is one of the few works of genius our hobby has produced. You understood that, before a roleplaying game is anything else, it’s a conversation among people, so to get across this scary new concept of diceless roleplaying, you filled the book with copious and lengthy play examples, all structured as – conversations among people. It was the only way the game text could have worked, and because you realized that, your ruleset became one of the landmarks of the hobby. I will always be grateful and inspired.
JaeWalker
Erick,
Thank you for your passion and inspiration. I’ve taken many of your lessons with me and shared them with others (particularly “How to Win at RPGs” on being a better player, and in general as a GM how to understand your world on a macro level so you can improvise on a micro level). And I still don’t understand the Zen stories well enough to repeat them, but well enough that they have nudged me toward enlightenment.
Your work will live on – thank you for everything.
May you be in heaven half an hour before the devil knows you’re gone.
Jae Walker
Clint_Ogre_Whiteside
TMNT was the first game I ever played with the actual rules. We loved that game. We made endless characters just for the fun of it. Thank you for that. It hit the perfect place for the adolescent that I was.
Amber, on the other hand, truly changed the way I looked at games. I’ve had other shifts in perception over the years, but nothing so truly earth-shaking. To this day, the first Amber game I played in ranks in my top ten.
You influenced me to be a gaming rebel, Erick. Thank you.
Ogre Whiteside
Wattsian
I have nothing personal to share. I never met you.
I do know that the fun-loving spirit of TMNT led me to make dozens of characters, with no one to play with. That fire to make characters led to live gaming with a group years later, but I still have the TMNT book.
Thanks, Mr. Wujcik, for a fantastically imaginative, fun-loving book.
And God bless you.
Brendan
BillCoffin
I never had the pleasure of meeting Erick, though I was lucky enough to receive a copy of the Amber DPRG from him. Erick’s work has had a massive influence on me creatively – to say the very least – and it was always a motivation for me to write something that others might enjoy as much as I enjoyed Erick’s work. I doubt I ever achieved that, for who could dwell under such greatness and compare favorably? Ours is a small hobby and industry, and to lose a giant such as this is a grievous blow.
Erick, if you read this, please know how much it hurts to read this sad news about you. Please know that your work has meant a great deal to your many, many fans, and that the friendship that you have shown Kevin Siembieda is the kind of inner nobility we would all do well to emulate.
You will be in the thoughts and prayers of me and my family, Erick. as you will be in those of many others, I am sure.
zacharythefirst
Erick,
What can I say? When I think of genius–and I mean genius–game designers, you’re first in my thoughts. I cannot tell you how many hours of fun TMNT and Amber have brought to my home and various gaming tables all over the world. So few people in this world truly inspire and bring joy to a multitude of others–yet you’ve managed to do that many times over.
I wish I could say so much more–about how your writings pushed me to try my own hand at creating my own worlds–how it was through you I discovered Zelazny–how much I admire the perfect ingenuity of your game design–how I respect the way you interact with your fans, but right now, that’s all I can manage. Erick, thank you for everything. God bless and watch over you.
“And The World Will Know
That Here Was A Man,
A Beacon That Burns On…”
Zachary Houghton
Pendleton, Indiana
fnordy
I don’t know Erick, but I know his name. As a young gamer, it was one of those names that took on an elevated status in my mind, seeing it on all those books on my shelf (and it didn’t hurt that it was even less pronounceable than mine…always raises an eyebrow with me). Having such a grand position, it never occurred to me I might be able to do what he did.
Turns out I can’t.
Having now “caught up” to him in the sense that I might see my name on or in a game book these days, one discovers that all movement is relative. I may be published, but I’m no Erick Wujcik. And so, his name continues to be one of those that represents the things I’d like to be: talented, prolific, and, if this site is any indication, beloved by many.
Best,
-Andy Vetromile