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{{Creator | {{Creator | ||
|name = Len Lakofka | |||
|image = [[File:Lakofka02.png|250px]] | |image = [[File:Lakofka02.png|250px]] | ||
|caption = Lakofka, appearing on the ''[[Legends & Lore]]'' show in 2020. | |caption = Lakofka, appearing on the ''[[Legends & Lore]]'' show in 2020. | ||
|nationality = American | |nationality = American | ||
|born = 10 January 1944 | |born = Lenard William Lakofka, 10 January 1944 | ||
|birthplace = Illinois | |birthplace = Chicago, Illinois | ||
|died = 23 October 2020; Palm Desert, CA | |died = 23 October 2020; Palm Desert, CA | ||
|first greyhawk work = ''[[The Secret of Bone Hill]]'' | |first greyhawk work = ''[[The Secret of Bone Hill]]'' | ||
|notableworks = ''[[Lendore Isles]]'' series adventures | |||
|alias = Leomund | |alias = Leomund | ||
}} | |spouse = Gary Jackson | ||
'''Lenard Lakofka''' (January 10, | |children = | ||
|relatives = | |||
|signature = | |||
|sigcaption = | |||
}} | |||
'''Lenard William Lakofka''' (January 10, 1944—October 23, 2020), commonly known as '''Len Lakofka''', was a writer of D&D material. Although never a formal employee of [[TSR]], Lakofka was an influential voice in the development of the game.<ref name="tome">{{Cite web |title=Len Lakofka |url=http://www.tomeoftreasures.com/tot_adnd/roguesgallery/lakofka.htm |website=Rogues Gallery |publisher=Tome of Treasures: For Dungeons & Dragons Collectibles |accessdate=18 March 2011}}</ref> He was one of the playtesters of the game as it was being developed, an editor of early manuscripts, wrote a widely-read monthly ''[[dragmag|Dragon]]'' magazine column and two official ''D&D'' adventures. His home campaign setting (the [[Lendore Isles]]) was incorporated into [[Gary Gygax]]'s ''[[World of Greyhawk Fantasy Game Setting]]''. | |||
His player character [[Leomund]] gave his name to several well-known spells, ''Leomund's Tiny Hut'' being the most famous. The fictional mineral [[Lacofcite]] is likely named for Lakofka. | His player character [[Leomund]] gave his name to several well-known spells, ''Leomund's Tiny Hut'' being the most famous. The fictional mineral [[Lacofcite]] is likely named for Lakofka. | ||
Lakofka's Lendore Isles series of | Lakofka's Lendore Isles series of adventures are: | ||
* L1 —''[[The Secret of Bone Hill]]'' (TSR, 1981) | * L1 —''[[The Secret of Bone Hill]]'' (TSR, 1981) | ||
* L2—''[[The Assassin's Knot]]'' (TSR, 1983) | * L2—''[[The Assassin's Knot]]'' (TSR, 1983) | ||
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==Involvement with ''Dungeons and Dragons''== | ==Involvement with ''Dungeons and Dragons''== | ||
In 1972, Gary Gygax and [[Dave Arneson]] began to co-develop a new role-playing game, which eventually led to the formation of [[TSR|Tactical Studies Rules (TSR)]] and the release of the first boxed sets of ''Dungeons & Dragons''. | In 1972, Gary Gygax and [[Dave Arneson]] began to co-develop a new role-playing game, which eventually led to the formation of [[TSR|Tactical Studies Rules (TSR)]] and the release of the first boxed sets of ''Dungeons & Dragons''. In 1975, a year after D&D was published in 1975, articles about D&D began to appear in Lakofka's Dippy 'zine ''Liaisons Dangereuses''.<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Lakofka |first=Lenard |date=17 July 1976 |title=Dungeons & Dragons |url=http://www.whiningkentpigs.com/DW/oldzines/ld72.pdf |journal=Liaisons Dangereuses |location=Chicago IL |issue=72 |accessdate=18 March 2011}}</ref> Although the names of both Lakofka and Gygax appeared in the articles' bylines, all of the articles were written by Lakofka alone—he added Gygax's name in order to preserve Gygax's copyright on ''D&D''.<ref name = Part1 /> Some of these articles were almost immediately republished in TSR's new magazine ''[[Dragon (magazine)|The Dragon]]''.<ref name = Part1 /> Lakofka started playing ''D&D'' in Chicago, using a player character named Leomund.<ref name="BG_RIP">https://www.blackgate.com/2020/10/26/modular-rip-lenoard-lakofka-lord-of-the-lendore-isles/</ref> He also created a ''D&D'' campaign world called the [[Lendore Isles]]. | ||
Although Lakofka was not a member of the TSR staff, as the | Although Lakofka was not a member of the TSR staff, Lakofka was frequently consulted as the ''Advanced Dungeons & Dragons'' rules were developed,<ref name="BG_RIP">https://www.blackgate.com/2020/10/26/modular-rip-lenoard-lakofka-lord-of-the-lendore-isles/</ref><ref name=tome /> and advised Gygax on rules he felt were unbalanced.<ref name="Part3">{{Cite web |last=Maliszewski |first=James |date=19 November 2009 |title=Interview: Len Lakofka (Part III) |url=http://grognardia.blogspot.com/2009/11/interview-len-lakofka-part-iii.html |website=Grognardia: An Exploration of the History and Traditions of the Hobby |accessdate=18 March 2011}}</ref> Gygax passed Lakofka copies of the manuscripts for both the ''Players Handbook'' and the ''[[Dungeon Master's Guide]]''. Lakofka edited the manuscripts and also contributed material to both books.<ref name = Part3 /> After the rule books for ''AD&D'' were published, he created additional spells, magic items, and monsters, which were subsequently published in ''Dragon''.<ref name = tome /> He also wrote several more articles about ''AD&D'' in ''Dragon'', and continued to help organize and run ''Diplomacy'' and ''AD&D'' events at Gen Con, which was now owned by TSR, Inc. | ||
At the first official ''AD&D'' tournament, held in January 1979 at Winter Fantasy, Lakofka was the second-place finisher.<ref>{{Cite journal |date=January 1979 |title=The First Official Invitational Advanced Dungeons & Dragons Master Tournament |journal=Dragon |location=Lake Geneva WI |publisher=TSR |volume=III, No. 8 |issue=22 |page=31}}</ref> Later the same year, [[Brian Blume]] of TSR approached Lakofka at a Seattle convention about writing ''AD&D'' adventures, and Lakofka agreed to write three | At the first official ''AD&D'' tournament, held in January 1979 at Winter Fantasy, Lakofka was the second-place finisher.<ref>{{Cite journal |date=January 1979 |title=The First Official Invitational Advanced Dungeons & Dragons Master Tournament |journal=Dragon |location=Lake Geneva WI |publisher=TSR |volume=III, No. 8 |issue=22 |page=31}}</ref> Later the same year, [[Brian Blume]] of TSR approached Lakofka at a Seattle convention about writing ''AD&D'' adventures, and Lakofka agreed to write three adventures for $10,500. ''Dragon'' editor [[Tim Kask]] also approached Lakofka about becoming a regular columnist, and in October 1979, Lakofka's monthly feature, ''Leomund's Tiny Hut'', debuted in Issue #30. | ||
In 1980, Lakofka submitted three | In 1980, Lakofka submitted three adventures to TSR, taken from adventures he had originally created for his home campaign of Lendore Isle: ''The Secret of Bone Hill'', ''The Assassin's Knot'' and ''Deep Dwarven Delve''. Gary Gygax was simultaneously creating his World of Greyhawk Fantasy Game Setting, and Lakofka asked if "Lendore Isle" could be incorporated into Gygax's new world. Gygax agreed, and Lakofka chose the largest island in the Spindrift Isles archipelago as the location of his [[Lendore Isles]] adventures. This was the first material from an author other than Gygax or [[Robert J. Kuntz|Rob Kuntz]] to be incorporated into the [[Greyhawk]] setting.<ref name="designers">{{Cite book |last=Shannon Appelcline |title=Designers & Dragons |publisher=Mongoose Publishing |year=2011 |isbn=978-1-907702-58-7 |page=24}}</ref> | ||
On top of his written contributions, Lakofka continued to be a high-profile player in the D&D world: in 1980, he was listed as the 6th-ranked player in national D&D standings;<ref>{{Cite journal |date=March 1980 |title=National Player Rating System |journal=Dragon |location=Lake Geneva WI |publisher=TSR |volume=IV, No. 9 |issue=35 |page=23}}</ref> and the same year, as a DM, he placed third in the Invitational Dungeon Master's Tournament at Gen Con. ([[Frank Mentzer]] was the winner.)<ref>{{Cite journal |date=November 1980 |title=He's the Top Dungeon Mentzer |journal=Dragon |location=Lake Geneva WI |publisher=TSR |volume=V, No. 5 |issue=43 |page=14}}</ref> | On top of his written contributions, Lakofka continued to be a high-profile player in the D&D world: in 1980, he was listed as the 6th-ranked player in national D&D standings;<ref>{{Cite journal |date=March 1980 |title=National Player Rating System |journal=Dragon |location=Lake Geneva WI |publisher=TSR |volume=IV, No. 9 |issue=35 |page=23}}</ref> and the same year, as a DM, he placed third in the Invitational Dungeon Master's Tournament at Gen Con. ([[Frank Mentzer]] was the winner.)<ref>{{Cite journal |date=November 1980 |title=He's the Top Dungeon Mentzer |journal=Dragon |location=Lake Geneva WI |publisher=TSR |volume=V, No. 5 |issue=43 |page=14}}</ref> | ||
In 1981, Lakofka's first adventure, L1 ''[[The Secret of Bone Hill]]'', was published. Reviews were mixed. In ''Different Worlds'', Anders Swenson complained about the randomness of encounters, and that the monsters and townspeople were unrealistically compressed into too small a geographical area.<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Swenson |first=Anders |date=November 1981 |title=Review |journal=Different Worlds |type=review |publisher=Chaosium |issue=16 |page=39}}</ref> | In 1981, Lakofka's first adventure, L1 ''[[The Secret of Bone Hill]]'', was published. Reviews were mixed. In ''Different Worlds'', Anders Swenson complained about the randomness of encounters, and that the monsters and townspeople were unrealistically compressed into too small a geographical area.<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Swenson |first=Anders |date=November 1981 |title=Review |journal=Different Worlds |type=review |publisher=Chaosium |issue=16 |page=39}}</ref> | ||
However, ''White Dwarf'''s Jim Bambra gave it an 8 out 10, and liked the roleplaying situations the | However, ''White Dwarf'''s Jim Bambra gave it an 8 out 10, and liked the roleplaying situations the adventure afforded.<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Bambra |first=Jim |date=November 1982 |title=Open Box: Dungeon Module |journal=White Dwarf |type=review |publisher=Games Workshop |issue=35 |pages=14–15 |issn=0265-8712 |authorlink=Jim Bambra}}</ref> James Maliszewski claimed the adventure was one of his favorites because it created "a very flexible 'sandbox' framework for a low-level campaign".<ref name=Part3 /> | ||
In 1983, TSR published Lakofka's second adventure, L2 ''The Assassin's Knot''. Reviews were again mixed. Rick Swan, in ''The Space Gamer'', thought the murder mystery of the plot was "a very pedestrian affair", and the adventure was "just plain dull".<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Swan |first=Rick |date=November–December 1984 |title=Capsule Reviews |journal=The Space Gamer |publisher=Steve Jackson Games |issue=71 |pages=55–56 |authorlink=Rick Swan}}</ref> | In 1983, TSR published Lakofka's second adventure, L2 ''The Assassin's Knot''. Reviews were again mixed. Rick Swan, in ''The Space Gamer'', thought the murder mystery of the plot was "a very pedestrian affair", and the adventure was "just plain dull".<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Swan |first=Rick |date=November–December 1984 |title=Capsule Reviews |journal=The Space Gamer |publisher=Steve Jackson Games |issue=71 |pages=55–56 |authorlink=Rick Swan}}</ref> Dave Morris in ''White Dwarf'' disagreed, calling it "an entertaining murder mystery for AD&D characters" and scoring it 7 out of 10.<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Morris |first=Dave |date=July 1984 |title=Open Box: Dungeon Modules |journal=White Dwarf |type=review |publisher=Games Workshop |issue=55 |pages=18–19 |issn=0265-8712}}</ref> In 2004, [[Erik Mona]] and [[James Jacobs]] ranked ''The Assassin's Knot'' as the 29th greatest AD&D adventure ever written.<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Mona |first=Erik |author-link=Erik Mona |last2=Jacobs |first2=James |author-link2=James Jacobs |last3=Dungeon Design Panel |year=2004 |title=The 30 Greatest D&D Adventures of All Time |publisher=[[Paizo Publishing]] |publication-date=November 2004 |issue=116 |pages=68–81 |magazine=[[Dungeon]]}}</ref> | ||
Lakofka also continued to write more articles in ''Dragon'' in addition to his monthly column. When Gygax was creating the World of Greyhawk, Lakofka suggested that based on the migration patterns of various Greyhawk races as outlined in the campaign setting, that "his" Lendore Isles would have been mainly settled by [[Suloise|Suel]]. When the twelve gods of the Suel pantheon of gods were simply listed in the 1983 edition of the World of Greyhawk Fantasy Game Setting, with no details or powers given, Lakofka took it upon himself to flesh out descriptions of each god.<ref name="Part2">{{Cite web |last=Maliszewski |first=James |date=18 November 2009 |title=Interview: Len Lakofka (Part 2) |url=http://grognardia.blogspot.com/2009/11/interview-len-lakofka-part-ii.html |website=Grognardia: An Exploration of the History and Traditions of the Hobby |accessdate=18 March 2011}}</ref> In 1984, Lakofka published this information as a major five-part series in ''Dragon''. | Lakofka also continued to write more articles in ''Dragon'' in addition to his monthly column. When Gygax was creating the World of Greyhawk, Lakofka suggested that based on the migration patterns of various Greyhawk races as outlined in the campaign setting, that "his" Lendore Isles would have been mainly settled by [[Suloise|Suel]]. When the twelve gods of the Suel pantheon of gods were simply listed in the 1983 edition of the World of Greyhawk Fantasy Game Setting, with no details or powers given, Lakofka took it upon himself to flesh out descriptions of each god.<ref name="Part2">{{Cite web |last=Maliszewski |first=James |date=18 November 2009 |title=Interview: Len Lakofka (Part 2) |url=http://grognardia.blogspot.com/2009/11/interview-len-lakofka-part-ii.html |website=Grognardia: An Exploration of the History and Traditions of the Hobby |accessdate=18 March 2011}}</ref> In 1984, Lakofka published this information as a major five-part series in ''Dragon''. | ||
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[[Deep Dwarven Delve|L3 ''Deep Dwarven Delve'']], was scheduled to be released in 1986, and Lakofka planned to write two more "L" series adventures. However, in a power struggle at TSR at the end of 1985, Lakofka's long-time friend Gary Gygax was ousted from the company. The new company management did not want to do business with friends of Gygax and plans to publish Lakofka's third adventure were shelved.<ref>{{Cite web |date=17 August 2004 |title=L4 Q&A With Len Lakofka |url=http://www.dragonsfoot.net/forums/viewtopic.php?f=11&t=40635&sid=dcbbff1ad6ae0718dafb830d08839cbc&start=15 |website=Dragonsfoot Forums |publisher=dragonsfoot.org |accessdate=18 March 2011}}</ref> Lakofka also stopped writing his ''Leomund's Tiny Hut'' column for ''Dragon''; his final column was published in April 1986 (Issue #108). | [[Deep Dwarven Delve|L3 ''Deep Dwarven Delve'']], was scheduled to be released in 1986, and Lakofka planned to write two more "L" series adventures. However, in a power struggle at TSR at the end of 1985, Lakofka's long-time friend Gary Gygax was ousted from the company. The new company management did not want to do business with friends of Gygax and plans to publish Lakofka's third adventure were shelved.<ref>{{Cite web |date=17 August 2004 |title=L4 Q&A With Len Lakofka |url=http://www.dragonsfoot.net/forums/viewtopic.php?f=11&t=40635&sid=dcbbff1ad6ae0718dafb830d08839cbc&start=15 |website=Dragonsfoot Forums |publisher=dragonsfoot.org |accessdate=18 March 2011}}</ref> Lakofka also stopped writing his ''Leomund's Tiny Hut'' column for ''Dragon''; his final column was published in April 1986 (Issue #108). | ||
After this, Lakofka moved from Chicago to California and wrote no more ''AD&D'' material for TSR. It was not until TSR was taken over by [[Wizards of the Coast]] (WotC) in 1997 and the World of Greyhawk setting was revived that Lakofka was approached about finally publishing L3 ''Deep Dwarven Delve'' as part of the | After this, Lakofka moved from Chicago to California and wrote no more ''AD&D'' material for TSR. It was not until TSR was taken over by [[Wizards of the Coast]] (WotC) in 1997 and the World of Greyhawk setting was revived that Lakofka was approached about finally publishing L3 ''Deep Dwarven Delve'' as part of the 2fifth Anniversary Collector's Boxed Set. Because of changes to the ''D&D'' rules over the intervening decade, Lakofka worked with WotC staff to update the adventure. Lakofka stated that WotC lost his final rewrite before publication but rather than telling him, someone at WotC inserted new material into an older manuscript before it was published. Lakofka claimed as a result that about 20% of the final product was not his own work.<ref>{{Cite web |date=17 August 2004 |title=L4 Q&A With Len Lakofka |url=http://www.dragonsfoot.org/forums/viewtopic.php?f=11&t=40635 |website=Dragonsfoot Forums |publisher=dragonsfoot.org |accessdate=18 March 2011}}</ref> | ||
Lakofka continued to work on further adventures in the "L" series, and in 2009, the fourth installment, L4 ''Devilspawn'', was released by Dragonsfoot.org as a free download.<ref>{{Cite web |date=23 January 2010 |title=New Release |url=http://www.dragonsfoot.org/forums/viewtopic.php?f=11&t=12490&start=270 |website=Dragonsfoot Forums |publisher=dragonsfoot.org |accessdate=18 March 2011}}</ref> Lakofka also created a fifth | Lakofka continued to work on further adventures in the "L" series, and in 2009, the fourth installment, L4 ''Devilspawn'', was released by Dragonsfoot.org as a free download.<ref>{{Cite web |date=23 January 2010 |title=New Release |url=http://www.dragonsfoot.org/forums/viewtopic.php?f=11&t=12490&start=270 |website=Dragonsfoot Forums |publisher=dragonsfoot.org |accessdate=18 March 2011}}</ref> Lakofka also created a fifth adventure, L5 ''The Kroten Campaign'', which was released in 3 parts by Dragonsfoot.org as a free download.<ref>{{Cite web |date=23 January 2010 |title=The Kroten Campaign |url=https://www.dragonsfoot.org/php4/archive.php?sectioninit=FE&fileid=381 |website=Dragonsfoot Forums |publisher=dragonsfoot.org |accessdate=18 March 2011}}</ref> Lakofka mused about writing up to four more "L" adventures, but ultimately these were never created.<ref name=blackgate /> | ||
Starting in 2019, Lenard became a regular on the "LordGosumba" ''Twitch'' channel, discussing Greyhawk and ''D&D''. Archives of the show are available on YouTube.<ref>{{Cite web |date=22 April 2020 |title=LordGosumba YouTube |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KiXdY9WstD4&feature=youtu.be&t=353 |url-status=live| website=Legends and Lore #47 |publisher=YouTube.com |accessdate=22 April 2020}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=17 November 2019 |title=LordGosumba YouTube |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cW3ywc1LG2s&list=PL8YAiP0ntulBkeW9_yvRuMyOJKHbwhSUW&index=46&t=2577s | url-status=live|website=Gabbin at Lord Peak's Haven #71 |publisher=YouTube.com |accessdate=17 November 2019}}</ref> | Starting in 2019, Lenard became a regular on the "LordGosumba" ''Twitch'' channel, discussing Greyhawk and ''D&D''. Archives of the show are available on YouTube.<ref>{{Cite web |date=22 April 2020 |title=LordGosumba YouTube |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KiXdY9WstD4&feature=youtu.be&t=353 |url-status=live| website=Legends and Lore #47 |publisher=YouTube.com |accessdate=22 April 2020}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|date=17 November 2019|title=LordGosumba YouTube|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cW3ywc1LG2s&list=PL8YAiP0ntulBkeW9_yvRuMyOJKHbwhSUW&index=46&t=2577s|url-status=live|website=[[Gabbin' at Lord Peak's Haven]] #71|publisher=YouTube.com|accessdate=17 November 2019}}</ref> | ||
Lakofka was also a good bridge player. In 2006 he was listed in the Top 500 American Contract Bridge League Masterpoint Winners in southern California,<ref>{{Cite web |date=13 March 2006 |title=Mar 13, 2006 STAC Top 500 Masterpoint Winners |url=http://www.acblunit557.org/stac/stactop.htm |access-date=13 November 2020 |website=acblunit557.org}}</ref> and in 2008 his team from southern California was runner-up in Flight C of the Grand National Teams.<ref>{{Cite journal |date=21 July 2008 |title=District 8 wins GNT Flight |url=https://www.bridgehands.com/Tournaments/ACBL_NABC/LasVegas0708_4.pdf |journal=Summer North American Bridge Championships Daily Bulletin |location=Las Vegas |volume=80 |issue=4 |pages=5 |access-date=12 November 2020}}</ref><ref>{{Cite journal |last=Schreiber |first=Bill |date=September 2008 |title=D23 Players Place at NABC |url=https://docplayer.net/87970285-Californiabridge-news.html |journal=Southern California Bridge News |volume=43 |issue=9 |pages=1 |access-date=13 November 2020}}</ref> | Lakofka was also a good bridge player. In 2006 he was listed in the Top 500 American Contract Bridge League Masterpoint Winners in southern California,<ref>{{Cite web |date=13 March 2006 |title=Mar 13, 2006 STAC Top 500 Masterpoint Winners |url=http://www.acblunit557.org/stac/stactop.htm |access-date=13 November 2020 |website=acblunit557.org}}</ref> and in 2008 his team from southern California was runner-up in Flight C of the Grand National Teams.<ref>{{Cite journal |date=21 July 2008 |title=District 8 wins GNT Flight |url=https://www.bridgehands.com/Tournaments/ACBL_NABC/LasVegas0708_4.pdf |journal=Summer North American Bridge Championships Daily Bulletin |location=Las Vegas |volume=80 |issue=4 |pages=5 |access-date=12 November 2020}}</ref><ref>{{Cite journal |last=Schreiber |first=Bill |date=September 2008 |title=D23 Players Place at NABC |url=https://docplayer.net/87970285-Californiabridge-news.html |journal=Southern California Bridge News |volume=43 |issue=9 |pages=1 |access-date=13 November 2020}}</ref> | ||
== Death == | == Death == | ||
Lakofka was found to have passed away in the early morning of October 23, 2020, in his home with his husband, Gary Jackson.<ref name=deathcert>Death Certificate #3052020243059, State of California Dept. of Public Health, John Prezekes, MD.</ref> He suffered from myeloid leukemia and was cremated after his passing.<ref name=deathcert /> | Lakofka was found to have passed away in the early morning of October 23, 2020, aged 76, in his home with his husband, Gary Jackson.<ref name=deathcert>Death Certificate #3052020243059, State of California Dept. of Public Health, John Prezekes, MD.</ref> He suffered from myeloid leukemia and was cremated after his passing.<ref name=deathcert /> | ||
==Greyhawk works== | ==Greyhawk works== | ||
*[[Gygax, Gary]]. ''The World of Greyhawk''. Lake Geneva, WI: TSR, 1980. | *[[Gygax, Gary]]. ''The World of Greyhawk''. Lake Geneva, WI: TSR, 1980. | ||
:———. ''[[World of Greyhawk Fantasy Game Setting]]''. Lake Geneva, WI: TSR, 1983. | |||
*Lakofka, Lenard. ''[[The Assassin's Knot]]''. Lake Geneva, WI: TSR, 1983. | *Lakofka, Lenard. ''[[The Assassin's Knot]]''. Lake Geneva, WI: TSR, 1983. | ||
:———. "Bazaar of the Bizarre." ''[[Dragon (magazine)|Dragon]]'' #28. Lake Geneva, WI: TSR, 1979. | |||
:———. "The Church of Osprem." ''Footprints'' e-zine, 2006 available at [http://dragonsfoot.org ''Dragonsfoot'']. | |||
:———. "The Clergy of Phaulkon." ''Footprints'' e-zine, 2005, available at [http://dragonsfoot.org ''Dragonsfoot'']. | |||
:———. ''[[Deep Dwarven Delve]]''. Renton, WA: TSR, 1999. | |||
:———. "Gods of the Suel Pantheon: Fiery Pyremius, nasty Beltar, and bearlike Llerg." ''[[Dragon (magazine)|Dragon]]'' #89. Lake Geneva, WI: TSR, 1984. | |||
:———. "Gods of the Suel Pantheon: Kord the Brawler and Phaulkon, his father." ''[[Dragon (magazine)|Dragon]]'' #87. Lake Geneva, WI: TSR, 1984. | |||
:———. "Gods of the Suel Pantheon: Last of the series: Lydia, Bralm, and Jascar" ''[[Dragon (magazine)|Dragon]]'' #92. Lake Geneva, WI: TSR, 1984. | |||
:———. "Gods of the Suel Pantheon: Phyton of the forest, Xerbo and Osprem of the sea." ''[[Dragon (magazine)|Dragon]]'' #90. Lake Geneva, WI: TSR, 1984. | |||
:———. "Gods of the Suel Pantheon: A terribly diverse trio: Syrul, Fortubo, and Wee Jas." ''[[Dragon (magazine)|Dragon]]'' #88. Lake Geneva, WI: TSR, 1984. | |||
:———. "A History and Timeline of the Suloise." ''[[Oerth Journal]]'' #11. [[Council of Greyhawk]], 2000. [https://greyhawkonline.com/oerthjournal Available online] | |||
:———. "Leomund's Tiny Hut: Adding Depth to the Flanaess." ''[[Dragon (magazine)|Dragon]]'' #52. Lake Geneva, WI: TSR, 1981. | |||
:———. "[[Nolzur]] of [[Lendor]]." ''Footprints'' e-zine #14, 2009, available at [http://dragonsfoot.org ''Dragonsfoot'']. | |||
:———. "The Nystul and Lendore Isle Campaign." ''Footprints'' e-zine, 2005, available at [http://dragonsfoot.org ''Dragonsfoot'']. | |||
:———. "Presenting the Suel Pantheon." ''[[Dragon (magazine)|Dragon]]'' #86. Lake Geneva, WI: TSR, 1984. | |||
:———. ''[[The Secret of Bone Hill]]''. Lake Geneva, WI: TSR, 1981. | |||
:———. "Tales From the Green Dragon Inn: Leomund's Life." ''[[Oerth Journal]]'' #10. [[Council of Greyhawk]], 1999. [https://greyhawkonline.com/oerthjournal Available online] | |||
*[[Steve Wilson|Wilson, Steve]], Lenard Lakofka, and Grimwulf. "The History of Oerth (Oerik)." ''[[Oerth Journal]]'' #1. [[Council of Greyhawk]], 1995. [https://greyhawkonline.com/oerthjournal Available online] | *[[Steve Wilson|Wilson, Steve]], Lenard Lakofka, and Grimwulf. "The History of Oerth (Oerik)." ''[[Oerth Journal]]'' #1. [[Council of Greyhawk]], 1995. [https://greyhawkonline.com/oerthjournal Available online] | ||
== External links == | == External links == | ||
{{External link disclaimer}} | {{External link disclaimer}} | ||
*[http://www.diplomacy-archive.com/resources/strategy/articles/good_ally.htm A ''Diplomacy'' article by Len Lakofka] | *[http://www.diplomacy-archive.com/resources/strategy/articles/good_ally.htm A ''Diplomacy'' article by Len Lakofka] [https://web.archive.org/web/20060621125345/http://www.diplomacy-archive.com/resources/strategy/articles/good_ally.htm Archived] 21 June 2006 at the [https://web.archive.org Wayback Machine]. | ||
== References == | == References == | ||
Latest revision as of 14:37, 26 March 2025
| Len Lakofka | |
|---|---|
 Lakofka, appearing on the Legends & Lore show in 2020. | |
| Nationality: | American |
| Born: | Lenard William Lakofka, 10 January 1944, Chicago, Illinois |
| Died: | 23 October 2020; Palm Desert, CA |
| First Greyhawk work: | The Secret of Bone Hill |
| Notabale works: | Lendore Isles series adventures |
| Spouse: | Gary Jackson |
| Alias: | Leomund |
Lenard William Lakofka (January 10, 1944—October 23, 2020), commonly known as Len Lakofka, was a writer of D&D material. Although never a formal employee of TSR, Lakofka was an influential voice in the development of the game.[1] He was one of the playtesters of the game as it was being developed, an editor of early manuscripts, wrote a widely-read monthly Dragon magazine column and two official D&D adventures. His home campaign setting (the Lendore Isles) was incorporated into Gary Gygax's World of Greyhawk Fantasy Game Setting.
His player character Leomund gave his name to several well-known spells, Leomund's Tiny Hut being the most famous. The fictional mineral Lacofcite is likely named for Lakofka.
Lakofka's Lendore Isles series of adventures are:
- L1 —The Secret of Bone Hill (TSR, 1981)
- L2—The Assassin's Knot (TSR, 1983)
- L3—Deep Dwarven Delve (TSR, 1999)[note 1]
- L4—Devilspawn, Lakofka released this adventure as a free download through Dragonsfoot.
Before D&D
Lakofka was born January 10, 1944, in Illinois, to Alex Lakofka and Elsie Schumacher.[2]
While living in Chicago in the 1960s, Len Lakofka became involved in wargames, including Avalon Hill's Diplomacy.[3] His increasing interest in Diplomacy led him to join the International Federation of Wargamers, and through the IFW he met its vice-president, Gary Gygax. In 1968, Gary Gygax convinced the IFW to organize a one-day convention called Gen Con at the Horticultural Hall in Lake Geneva, WI. Lakofka was by this time president of the IFW,[4] and travelled to Lake Geneva to help set up, run events and clean up. At the end of the day, before Gygax took down his sand table and locked up the Hall, he introduced a new set of miniatures rules to Lakofka and a few others.[3] Those rules would subsequently be published as Chainmail, a precursor to D&D.[5]
Back in Chicago in 1969, Lakofka wrote the first issue[6] of his own "Dippy 'zine"—a fanzine devoted to Diplomacy—titled Liaisons Dangereuses.[3] He would eventually publish 81 issues over the next eight years.[7] In 1969, he also was the organizer of Gen Con II.[1]
Involvement with Dungeons and Dragons
In 1972, Gary Gygax and Dave Arneson began to co-develop a new role-playing game, which eventually led to the formation of Tactical Studies Rules (TSR) and the release of the first boxed sets of Dungeons & Dragons. In 1975, a year after D&D was published in 1975, articles about D&D began to appear in Lakofka's Dippy 'zine Liaisons Dangereuses.[8] Although the names of both Lakofka and Gygax appeared in the articles' bylines, all of the articles were written by Lakofka alone—he added Gygax's name in order to preserve Gygax's copyright on D&D.[3] Some of these articles were almost immediately republished in TSR's new magazine The Dragon.[3] Lakofka started playing D&D in Chicago, using a player character named Leomund.[9] He also created a D&D campaign world called the Lendore Isles.
Although Lakofka was not a member of the TSR staff, Lakofka was frequently consulted as the Advanced Dungeons & Dragons rules were developed,[9][1] and advised Gygax on rules he felt were unbalanced.[10] Gygax passed Lakofka copies of the manuscripts for both the Players Handbook and the Dungeon Master's Guide. Lakofka edited the manuscripts and also contributed material to both books.[10] After the rule books for AD&D were published, he created additional spells, magic items, and monsters, which were subsequently published in Dragon.[1] He also wrote several more articles about AD&D in Dragon, and continued to help organize and run Diplomacy and AD&D events at Gen Con, which was now owned by TSR, Inc.
At the first official AD&D tournament, held in January 1979 at Winter Fantasy, Lakofka was the second-place finisher.[11] Later the same year, Brian Blume of TSR approached Lakofka at a Seattle convention about writing AD&D adventures, and Lakofka agreed to write three adventures for $10,500. Dragon editor Tim Kask also approached Lakofka about becoming a regular columnist, and in October 1979, Lakofka's monthly feature, Leomund's Tiny Hut, debuted in Issue #30.
In 1980, Lakofka submitted three adventures to TSR, taken from adventures he had originally created for his home campaign of Lendore Isle: The Secret of Bone Hill, The Assassin's Knot and Deep Dwarven Delve. Gary Gygax was simultaneously creating his World of Greyhawk Fantasy Game Setting, and Lakofka asked if "Lendore Isle" could be incorporated into Gygax's new world. Gygax agreed, and Lakofka chose the largest island in the Spindrift Isles archipelago as the location of his Lendore Isles adventures. This was the first material from an author other than Gygax or Rob Kuntz to be incorporated into the Greyhawk setting.[12]
On top of his written contributions, Lakofka continued to be a high-profile player in the D&D world: in 1980, he was listed as the 6th-ranked player in national D&D standings;[13] and the same year, as a DM, he placed third in the Invitational Dungeon Master's Tournament at Gen Con. (Frank Mentzer was the winner.)[14]
In 1981, Lakofka's first adventure, L1 The Secret of Bone Hill, was published. Reviews were mixed. In Different Worlds, Anders Swenson complained about the randomness of encounters, and that the monsters and townspeople were unrealistically compressed into too small a geographical area.[15] However, White Dwarf's Jim Bambra gave it an 8 out 10, and liked the roleplaying situations the adventure afforded.[16] James Maliszewski claimed the adventure was one of his favorites because it created "a very flexible 'sandbox' framework for a low-level campaign".[10]
In 1983, TSR published Lakofka's second adventure, L2 The Assassin's Knot. Reviews were again mixed. Rick Swan, in The Space Gamer, thought the murder mystery of the plot was "a very pedestrian affair", and the adventure was "just plain dull".[17] Dave Morris in White Dwarf disagreed, calling it "an entertaining murder mystery for AD&D characters" and scoring it 7 out of 10.[18] In 2004, Erik Mona and James Jacobs ranked The Assassin's Knot as the 29th greatest AD&D adventure ever written.[19]
Lakofka also continued to write more articles in Dragon in addition to his monthly column. When Gygax was creating the World of Greyhawk, Lakofka suggested that based on the migration patterns of various Greyhawk races as outlined in the campaign setting, that "his" Lendore Isles would have been mainly settled by Suel. When the twelve gods of the Suel pantheon of gods were simply listed in the 1983 edition of the World of Greyhawk Fantasy Game Setting, with no details or powers given, Lakofka took it upon himself to flesh out descriptions of each god.[20] In 1984, Lakofka published this information as a major five-part series in Dragon.
After TSR
L3 Deep Dwarven Delve, was scheduled to be released in 1986, and Lakofka planned to write two more "L" series adventures. However, in a power struggle at TSR at the end of 1985, Lakofka's long-time friend Gary Gygax was ousted from the company. The new company management did not want to do business with friends of Gygax and plans to publish Lakofka's third adventure were shelved.[21] Lakofka also stopped writing his Leomund's Tiny Hut column for Dragon; his final column was published in April 1986 (Issue #108).
After this, Lakofka moved from Chicago to California and wrote no more AD&D material for TSR. It was not until TSR was taken over by Wizards of the Coast (WotC) in 1997 and the World of Greyhawk setting was revived that Lakofka was approached about finally publishing L3 Deep Dwarven Delve as part of the 2fifth Anniversary Collector's Boxed Set. Because of changes to the D&D rules over the intervening decade, Lakofka worked with WotC staff to update the adventure. Lakofka stated that WotC lost his final rewrite before publication but rather than telling him, someone at WotC inserted new material into an older manuscript before it was published. Lakofka claimed as a result that about 20% of the final product was not his own work.[22]
Lakofka continued to work on further adventures in the "L" series, and in 2009, the fourth installment, L4 Devilspawn, was released by Dragonsfoot.org as a free download.[23] Lakofka also created a fifth adventure, L5 The Kroten Campaign, which was released in 3 parts by Dragonsfoot.org as a free download.[24] Lakofka mused about writing up to four more "L" adventures, but ultimately these were never created.[5]
Starting in 2019, Lenard became a regular on the "LordGosumba" Twitch channel, discussing Greyhawk and D&D. Archives of the show are available on YouTube.[25][26]
Lakofka was also a good bridge player. In 2006 he was listed in the Top 500 American Contract Bridge League Masterpoint Winners in southern California,[27] and in 2008 his team from southern California was runner-up in Flight C of the Grand National Teams.[28][29]
Death
Lakofka was found to have passed away in the early morning of October 23, 2020, aged 76, in his home with his husband, Gary Jackson.[2] He suffered from myeloid leukemia and was cremated after his passing.[2]
Greyhawk works
- Gygax, Gary. The World of Greyhawk. Lake Geneva, WI: TSR, 1980.
- ———. World of Greyhawk Fantasy Game Setting. Lake Geneva, WI: TSR, 1983.
- Lakofka, Lenard. The Assassin's Knot. Lake Geneva, WI: TSR, 1983.
- ———. "Bazaar of the Bizarre." Dragon #28. Lake Geneva, WI: TSR, 1979.
- ———. "The Church of Osprem." Footprints e-zine, 2006 available at Dragonsfoot.
- ———. "The Clergy of Phaulkon." Footprints e-zine, 2005, available at Dragonsfoot.
- ———. Deep Dwarven Delve. Renton, WA: TSR, 1999.
- ———. "Gods of the Suel Pantheon: Fiery Pyremius, nasty Beltar, and bearlike Llerg." Dragon #89. Lake Geneva, WI: TSR, 1984.
- ———. "Gods of the Suel Pantheon: Kord the Brawler and Phaulkon, his father." Dragon #87. Lake Geneva, WI: TSR, 1984.
- ———. "Gods of the Suel Pantheon: Last of the series: Lydia, Bralm, and Jascar" Dragon #92. Lake Geneva, WI: TSR, 1984.
- ———. "Gods of the Suel Pantheon: Phyton of the forest, Xerbo and Osprem of the sea." Dragon #90. Lake Geneva, WI: TSR, 1984.
- ———. "Gods of the Suel Pantheon: A terribly diverse trio: Syrul, Fortubo, and Wee Jas." Dragon #88. Lake Geneva, WI: TSR, 1984.
- ———. "A History and Timeline of the Suloise." Oerth Journal #11. Council of Greyhawk, 2000. Available online
- ———. "Leomund's Tiny Hut: Adding Depth to the Flanaess." Dragon #52. Lake Geneva, WI: TSR, 1981.
- ———. "Nolzur of Lendor." Footprints e-zine #14, 2009, available at Dragonsfoot.
- ———. "The Nystul and Lendore Isle Campaign." Footprints e-zine, 2005, available at Dragonsfoot.
- ———. "Presenting the Suel Pantheon." Dragon #86. Lake Geneva, WI: TSR, 1984.
- ———. The Secret of Bone Hill. Lake Geneva, WI: TSR, 1981.
- ———. "Tales From the Green Dragon Inn: Leomund's Life." Oerth Journal #10. Council of Greyhawk, 1999. Available online
- Wilson, Steve, Lenard Lakofka, and Grimwulf. "The History of Oerth (Oerik)." Oerth Journal #1. Council of Greyhawk, 1995. Available online
External links
Disclaimer:Any lore presented through the following links does not necessarily adhere to established officially published content, and the views expressed do not necessarily represent the views of the editors of this wiki.
- A Diplomacy article by Len Lakofka Archived 21 June 2006 at the Wayback Machine.
References
Notes
- ↑ Although Wizards of the Coast released this adventure as part of the 30th Anniversary Boxed Set and credits Lakofka as the author, Lakofka later stated it had a different ending than what he originally submitted. The original ending is now lost).
Citations
- ↑ a b c d Len Lakofka. Rogues Gallery. Tome of Treasures: For Dungeons & Dragons Collectibles. Retrieved on 18 March 2011.
- ↑ a b c Death Certificate #3052020243059, State of California Dept. of Public Health, John Prezekes, MD.
- ↑ a b c d e Maliszewski, James. Interview: Len Lakofka (Part I). Grognardia: An Exploration of the History and Traditions of the Hobby. Retrieved on 18 March 2011.
- ↑ Lenard Lakofka. Guide du roliste galactiques , 30 December 2009. Retrieved on 18 March 2011.
- ↑ a b Taylor, Scott. The real 'L' word. Black Gate: Adventure in Fantasy Literature. Retrieved on 18 March 2011.
- ↑ Lakofka, Lenard (18 May 1969). "Press Release". Liaisons Dangereuses 1 (1). Retrieved on 18 March 2011.
- ↑ Meinel, Jim (July 1992) Encyclopedia of Postal Diplomacy Zines (North American Release), Alaska⧼colon⧽ Great White North Publications, p. 56
- ↑ Lakofka, Lenard (17 July 1976). "Dungeons & Dragons". Liaisons Dangereuses (72). Retrieved on 18 March 2011.
- ↑ a b https://www.blackgate.com/2020/10/26/modular-rip-lenoard-lakofka-lord-of-the-lendore-isles/
- ↑ a b c Maliszewski, James. Interview: Len Lakofka (Part III). Grognardia: An Exploration of the History and Traditions of the Hobby. Retrieved on 18 March 2011.
- ↑ (January 1979). "The First Official Invitational Advanced Dungeons & Dragons Master Tournament". Dragon III, No. 8 (22): 31. Lake Geneva WI: TSR.
- ↑ Shannon Appelcline (2011) Designers & Dragons, Mongoose Publishing, p. 24 ISBN: 978-1-907702-58-7.
- ↑ (March 1980). "National Player Rating System". Dragon IV, No. 9 (35): 23. Lake Geneva WI: TSR.
- ↑ (November 1980). "He's the Top Dungeon Mentzer". Dragon V, No. 5 (43): 14. Lake Geneva WI: TSR.
- ↑ Swenson, Anders (November 1981). "Review". Different Worlds (16): 39. Chaosium.
- ↑ Bambra, Jim (November 1982). "Open Box: Dungeon Module". White Dwarf (35): 14–15. Games Workshop. ISSN 0265-8712.
- ↑ Swan, Rick (November–December 1984). "Capsule Reviews". The Space Gamer (71): 55–56. Steve Jackson Games.
- ↑ Morris, Dave (July 1984). "Open Box: Dungeon Modules". White Dwarf (55): 18–19. Games Workshop. ISSN 0265-8712.
- ↑ Mona, Erik (2004). "The 30 Greatest D&D Adventures of All Time". Dungeon (116): 68–81. Paizo Publishing.
- ↑ Maliszewski, James. Interview: Len Lakofka (Part 2). Grognardia: An Exploration of the History and Traditions of the Hobby. Retrieved on 18 March 2011.
- ↑ L4 Q&A With Len Lakofka. Dragonsfoot Forums. dragonsfoot.org , 17 August 2004. Retrieved on 18 March 2011.
- ↑ L4 Q&A With Len Lakofka. Dragonsfoot Forums. dragonsfoot.org , 17 August 2004. Retrieved on 18 March 2011.
- ↑ New Release. Dragonsfoot Forums. dragonsfoot.org , 23 January 2010. Retrieved on 18 March 2011.
- ↑ The Kroten Campaign. Dragonsfoot Forums. dragonsfoot.org , 23 January 2010. Retrieved on 18 March 2011.
- ↑ LordGosumba YouTube. Legends and Lore #47. YouTube.com , 22 April 2020. Retrieved on 22 April 2020.
- ↑ LordGosumba YouTube. Gabbin' at Lord Peak's Haven #71. YouTube.com , 17 November 2019. Retrieved on 17 November 2019.
- ↑ Mar 13, 2006 STAC Top 500 Masterpoint Winners. acblunit557.org , 13 March 2006.
- ↑ (21 July 2008). "District 8 wins GNT Flight". Summer North American Bridge Championships Daily Bulletin 80 (4): 5.
- ↑ Schreiber, Bill (September 2008). "D23 Players Place at NABC". Southern California Bridge News 43 (9): 1.
Encyclopedia Greyhawkania Index
The Encyclopedia Greyhawkania Index (EGI) is based on previous work of Jason Zavoda through '08, continued by numerous other fans. The EGI article has a list of sources, product names, abbreviations, and a link to the full, downloadable index.
| Topic | Type | Description | Product | Page/Card/Image |
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