David R. Megarry

David R. Megarry

Megarry holding his original Dungeons playtest game.
Nationality American
Occupation Game designer

David R. Megarry is a game designer most notable for the board game Dungeon!.

Megarry hosting a Dungeon event!
Dave autographing a copy of The New Dungeon!

Career

Dave Megarry was a member of the Midwest Military Simulation Association, along with Dave Arneson, David Wesely, Ken Fletcher, John and Richard Snider and others.[1] Megarry was also a member of Dave Arneson's original Twin Cities Blackmoor group.[2]:8

Megarry designed a one-off board game called Dungeon! where players trooped through a dungeon on a singular basis, a game that had ultimately derived from the Braunstein playing sessions with Arneson.[2]:8 In November 1972, Arneson and Megarry traveled to Lake Geneva to meet with Gary Gygax, as Arneson thought that Gygax would be interested in Megarry's Dungeon! boardgame.[3] Dungeon! was first published by TSR in 1975, and Megarry was hired by TSR in the same year.[2]:8 Dungeon! was the first adventure board game.[4] Megarry called Bill Owen of Judges Guild to negotiate a formal license from September 4-November 22, 1976; this agreement required Judges Guild to pay a royalty to TSR for the right to place text on the cover of most products saying "Approved for use with Dungeons & Dragons".[5]

Arneson left TSR in 1976 over creative differences, and Megarry left around the same time.[2]:9

References

  1. ↑ Midwest Area Gaming Enthusiasts
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 Shannon Appelcline (2011). Designers & Dragons. Mongoose Publishing. ISBN 978-1-907702-58-7.
  3. ↑ Robert Kuntz: "Dave Arneson was the judge, and the other players were: EGG, Terry Kuntz, Ernie Gygax and myself. Megarry was the de facto leader as he understood the campaign area and rules and so he was our overall integration point in the adventure which took place on EGG's dining table." "Original D&D Discussion: Lake Geneva Gaming Group?". 2010-07-19. Retrieved 2011-06-30.
  4. ↑ Applecline, Shannon (September 2007), "Worlds of Adventure", Knucklebones 2 (5): 88–92
  5. ↑ Owen, Bill (2011). Judges Guild's Bob & Bill. Top right of page: Lulu.com. p. 39.