View source for Christopher Perkins

{{Creator
|image                = [[File:ChrisPerkins01.png|200px]]
|caption              = Chris Perkins, from list of participants on ''Dice, Camera, Action!'' (2016)<ref>{{cite web |title= Dice, Camera, Action|url= https://dnd.wizards.com/articles/news/new-weekly-dd-stream-chris-perkins |work= |publisher= [[WotC]]|date= 17 Feb 2016 |accessdate=2 December 2021 |postscript= }}</ref>
|name                 = Chris Perkins
|nationality          = American
|born                 = 20 Feb 1968
|birthplace           = Canada
|died                 = 
|first greyhawk work  = 
|notableworks         = Story design for ''D&D''
|alias                = Christopher Zarathustra
}}
'''Christopher Perkins''' (born February 29, 1968<ref>{{cite web|url=http://dnd.wizards.com/articles/features/happy-birthday-dungeon-master-chris-perkins|title=Happy Birthday to Dungeon Master Chris Perkins|date=29 February 2016|website=Dungeons & Dragons|access-date=13 March 2019}}</ref>) is a Canadian American<ref>{{cite web|url=https://twitter.com/ChrisPerkinsDnD/status/739154584510177280|title=I was born in Canada...|last=Perkins|first=Christoper|date=4 June 2016|website=Twitter|access-date=13 March 2019}}</ref> game designer and editor who is known for his work on ''D&D'' ([[WotC]]), currently as the senior story designer.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.seattletimes.com/life/lifestyle/behind-the-scenes-of-the-making-of-dungeons-dragons/|title=Behind the scenes of the making of Dungeons & Dragons|last=Brodeur|first=Nicole|date=2018-05-04|website=The Seattle Times|language=en-US|access-date=2019-03-14}}</ref>
	
Chris Perkins is a 20-year veteran of [[Wizards of the Coast]] and principal story designer for D&D. He has served as editor-in-chief for ''[[dragmag|Dragon]]'', ''[[Dungeon]]'', and authored numerous D&D articles and books, including most recently ''Curse of Strahd''. He may be best known as DM to "Acquisitions Incorporated".<ref>{{cite web |title= Dice, Camera, Action|url= https://dnd.wizards.com/articles/news/new-weekly-dd-stream-chris-perkins |work= |publisher= [[WotC]]|date= 17 Feb 2016 |accessdate=2 December 2021 |postscript= }}</ref>

== History ==
Chris Perkins decided at an early age that he wanted to make D&D products. He began sending submissions to [[Dungeon]] Magazine. He submitted a ''Top Secret'' adventure to Dungeon, which was ultimately never used, called "Operation: Ice Capade."<ref name=DCAwiki />

Under the pen name "Christopher Zarathustra", Perkins got his career start in 1988 writing the adventure "Wards of Witching Ways" for ''[[Dungeon]]'' magazine #11.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.wired.com/2008/03/chris-perkins-a/|title=Chris Perkins Answers D&D 4E Questions|last=Baichtal|first=John|date=5 March 2008|website=Wired|publisher=Condé Nast|access-date=13 March 2019}}</ref> 

When he was in his 20's, Chris was teaching English classes to adults who had gone back to school to get their high school diplomas. He developed a relationship with Dungeon Magazine through his frequent submissions. He sent so many submissions that editor Barbara Young told him: “I’ve seen so much of your work that I’m starting to say, ‘Which of these Perkinses should I take?’ You’re competing with yourself by sending too much at once.”<ref name=DCAwiki>{{cite web |title= Chris Perkins|url=https://dicecameraaction.fandom.com/wiki/Chris_Perkins |format= |work= Dice, Camera, Action Wiki|publisher=Fandom.com |date= |accessdate=2 December 2021}}</ref>

==Career==
In 1997, he was called by Wizards of the Coast and he later officially joined [[Wizards of the Coast]] as the editor of ''[[Dungeon]]'' magazine.<ref name=wizards/><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.pen-paper.net/rpgdb.php?op=showcreator&creatorid=420|archive-date=October 4, 2007|title=Christopher Perkins :: Pen & Paper RPG Database|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071004120743/http://www.pen-paper.net/rpgdb.php?op=showcreator&creatorid=420|access-date=February 2, 2018}}</ref><ref name=":0">{{Cite web|url=http://dnd.wizards.com/articles-authors/chris-perkins-0|title=Chris Perkins|website=Dungeons & Dragons|access-date=2019-03-14}}</ref> A few years later, he was promoted to editor-in-chief of Wizards periodicals.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://seattletimes.com/pacificnw/1210/cover.html|title=The Magic Touch|date=2000|website=The Seattle Times|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140503074211/http://seattletimes.com/pacificnw/1210/cover.html|archive-date=May 3, 2014|url-status=dead|access-date=April 19, 2013}}</ref>

Perkins later became the senior producer for ''D&D'', leading the team of designers, developers, and editors who produce ''D&D'' products.<ref name="wizards">{{cite web|url=https://www.wizards.com/dnd/Article.aspx?x=dnd/bio/chrisperkins/staff|title=Christopher Perkins—D&D Creative Manager|date=12 September 2009|website=Dungeons & Dragons|publisher=[[Wizards of the Coast]]|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100814160642/https://www.wizards.com/dnd/Article.aspx?x=dnd%2Fbio%2Fchrisperkins%2Fstaff|archive-date=14 August 2010|url-status=live|access-date=18 April 2013}}</ref><ref name=":0" /> Perkins was the story manager for ''D&D'' in 2007 before the release of the game's fourth edition.<ref name="gamespy">{{cite web|url=http://www.gamespy.com/articles/819/819068p1.html|title=Dungeons & Dragons: The fourth edition Interview|author=Villoria|first=Gerald|date=September 10, 2007|website=GameSpy|publisher=[[IGN Entertainment]]|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081207194823/http://www.gamespy.com/articles/819/819068p1.html|archive-date=December 7, 2008|access-date=April 18, 2013}}</ref> Perkins was working on the ''Star Wars Saga Edition]]'' while ''D&D'' fourth edition was being developed, and ideas flowed freely back and forth between Perkins and the fourth edition team.<ref name="designers">{{Cite book|title=Designers & Dragons|author=Appelcline, Shannon|publisher=Mongoose Publishing|year=2011|isbn=978-1-907702-58-7|page=298}}</ref> He was also on the SCRAMJET team, led by Richard Baker, and including [[James Wyatt]], [[Matthew Sernett]], [[Ed Stark]], Michele Carter, and Stacy Longstreet; this team updated the setting and cosmology of ''D&D'' as the fourth edition was being developed.<ref name="designers" /> Perkins was the Lead Story Designer of the Ravenloft fifth edition reboot ''Curse of Strahd'', released in 2016.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://dnd.wizards.com/articles/features/chris-perkins-and-tracy-hickman-curse-strahd|title=Chris Perkins and Tracy Hickman on Curse of Strahd|date=21 January 2016|website=Dungeons & Dragons|access-date=2017-09-22}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.newsweek.com/dungeons-dragons-worldbuilders-critical-role-acquisitions-patrick-rothfuss-dd-1241799|title='D&D' roleplayers can alter reality with Worldbuilders boons from Critical Role, Patrick Rothfuss|last=Whalen|first=Andrew|date=2018-12-03|website=Newsweek|language=en|access-date=2019-03-14}}</ref>

[[File:ChrisPerkins02.jpg|thumb|right|250px|Chris Perkins, from his bio on BoardGameGeek.com.]]
Perkins wrote a blog, "The Dungeon Master Experience", on the Wizards of the Coast website for over two years, where he shared tricks and advice about the challenge of "dungeon mastering" a campaign through the lens of his homebrew world, Iomandra.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://archive.wizards.com/DnD/Archive.aspx?category=all&subcategory=dmexperience|title=Article Archive|website=Dungeons & Dragons|publisher=Wizards of the Coast|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141012040845/http://archive.wizards.com/DnD/Archive.aspx?category=all&subcategory=dmexperience|archive-date=2014-10-12|url-status=dead|access-date=2015-10-22}}</ref> However, in the penultimate posting of March 2013, he announced the following posting would be the last "at least for a while", whereupon the blog became inactive.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://archive.wizards.com/DnD/Article.aspx?x=dnd/4dmxp/20130314|title=Until the Next Encounter|last=Perkins|first=Chris|date=2013-03-14|website=Dungeons & Dragons|publisher=Wizards of the Coast|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150218235309/http://archive.wizards.com/DnD/Article.aspx?x=dnd%2F4dmxp%2F20130314|archive-date=February 18, 2015|url-status=dead|access-date=2015-10-22}}</ref>

He was also the longtime DM for the Acquisitions Incorporated ''D&D'' games at the [''Penny Arcade Expo'' (PAX), until ''PAX Unplugged'' 2018.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.penny-arcade.com/news/post/2011/8/1/acquisitions-inc|title=Acquisitions Inc.|last=Gabe|date=2011-08-01|website=Penny Arcade|access-date=2015-10-22}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.dndbeyond.com/posts/382-chris-perkins-steps-down-from-acquisitions-inc|title=Chris Perkins Steps Down from Acquisitions Inc.; Jeremy Crawford Named Successor|last=Haeck|first=James|date=2018-12-03|website=D&D Beyond|publisher=[[Wizards of the Coast]]|access-date=2018-12-03}}</ref><ref name=":2">{{Cite web|url=https://comicbook.com/gaming/2019/02/01/critical-role-chris-perkins-cameo-dungeons-and-dragons/|title=Chris Perkins Makes Hilarious Surprise Appearance on 'Critical Role'|last=Hoffer|first=Christian|date=1 February 2019|website=WWG|language=en|access-date=2019-03-14}}</ref>

== Noteable Works ==
Chris has written many popular and influential adventures, including:
* '''Umbra''' (Dungeon Magazine #55): A Planescape adventure about two parents fighting over their child, who is becoming a deity.
* '''Life's Bazaar''' (Dungeon Magazine #97): The adventure that kicked off the Shackled City adventure path.
* '''The Lich-Queen's Beloved''' (Dungeon Magazine #100): A sprawling adventure set in the githyanki city of Tu'narath.
* fourth edition '''Against the Giants''' update/expansion in Dungeon Magazine.
* fourth edition '''Tomb of Horrors''' (2010)
* '''Curse of Strahd''': Perhaps the most popular fifth edition adventure of them all.
* '''Tomb of Annihilation:''' A journey through the dense and dangerous jungles of Chult.
* '''Waterdeep Dragon Heist:''' The latest officially released fifth edition adventure.
* 
=== Livestreams ===
From 2016 to 2019, Perkins was the Dungeon Master in the Twitch.tv livestream ''Dice, Camera, Action,'' which was a live play-through of ''Dungeons & Dragons''<nowiki/>' latest story lines.<ref name=":2" /><ref>{{Cite web|url=http://dnd.wizards.com/articles/news/new-weekly-dd-stream-chris-perkins|title=Dice, Camera, Action|date=17 February 2016|website=Dungeons & Dragons|access-date=22 September 2017}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://twitter.com/Wizards_DnD/status/1202014954204741632|title=Dungeons & Dragons on Twitter|date=3 December 2019|website=twitter|access-date=3 December 2019}}</ref> He has also guest starred twice on the ''Dungeons & Dragons''-based show, ''[[Critical Role]]''.<ref name=":2" /><ref>{{cite web|url=http://geekandsundry.com/critical-role-episode-55/|title=Critical Role: Episode 55—Umbrasyl|date=2016-06-06|website=[[Geek & Sundry]]|access-date=2016-06-15}}</ref>

=== Dice, Camera, Action ===
Chris has been the DM on every episode except for episode 73, run by Mark Hulmes, and episode 88, run by Anna Prosser Robinson.

On episode 88, as a player, Chris ran an imp named Umpox.

=== Other Shows ===
Chris has run many other games available online:
* ''The Dice, Camera, Action Puppet Show''
* ''Acquisitions, Inc.'' "Enter the Trash Witch"
* ''Acquisitions, Inc.'' PAX West 2017

== Fun Facts ==
* One rejected adventure that Chris submitted to Dungeon Magazine was "Kevin Wickerclock's Whimsical Adventure", an AD&D adventure that included a World War I flying ace, ninja assassins and more. 
* When Chris was headed from Canada to his first Gen Con, he got stopped at the border. The patrol officer thought his Wizards of the Coast paperwork was a forgery and threatened to confiscate his car. Chris actually missed Gen Con because of this.
* Artist Tony DiTerlizzi gave Chris the original painting from his Dungeon #55 adventure, "Umbra." It hangs in his bedroom. 
* When Chris was young, he ran a Spelljammer campaign that lasted for 3 years.
== Personal life ==
In his free time, Perkins runs a ''Dungeons & Dragons'' campaign set in his homegrown world of Iomandra.<ref name="wizards" />

==References==
===Citations===
<references />
===Bibliography===
* Fandom contributors, "Chris Perkins," Dice, Camera, Action Wiki, https://dicecameraaction.fandom.com/wiki/Chris_Perkins (accessed December 2, 2021).
* Wikipedia contributors, "Chris Perkins," Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Chris_Perkins_(game_designer)&oldid=1022895245 (accessed December 2, 2021).
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[[Category:Authors|Perkins, Chris]]