RPG Industry Professional Interview: Hal Greenberg

Steve

(sdonohue)

United States
Allen Park
Michigan

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Here's what Hal said when asked to introduce himself:

Hi, my name is Hal Greenberg and I have been designing games professionally since 2000, I have helped run Thunderhead Games and Mystic Eye Games and worked as an art director for the two above as well as Bastion Press during the d20 craze. I took a few years off and am now back doing some projects but not with my own companies but as a freelancer for others. I recently announced we will be doing Bluffside: City on the Edge, Castles and Crusades edition for Troll Lords.

I am a divorced father of two, that collects games, fantasy/sci-fi art, watches and some handmade knives. Some previous careers for me let me work with some of Warner Brothers great animators including Chuck Jones, Friz Freleng, and Virgil Ross and I was a felony probation officer for the State of Florida.

If anyone has any ideas or projects they would like to talk about just drop me an e-mail, I am open to talking about this great hobby. My email is over at my blog at www.halgreenberg.com where I talk about all sorts of things and always write about my current projects (bad and good).

Hal is also a member of the RPG Geek Community:

Hal Greenberg

(Just Hal)

United States
Tampa
Florida

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Edited Sun Dec 8, 2013 4:35 am
Posted Fri Jun 29, 2012 9:21 pm

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1. Board Game Artist: Hal Greenberg

Steve

(sdonohue)

United States
Allen Park
Michigan

Any other gamers in your family? How did you get into the hobby?

My kids game sometimes, son is an X-box 360 fanatic. One of my jobs in high school was to work at a place called Gamers Paradise in the Deerbrook Mall, near Deerfield, Il., we sold games and rented porn-I was in heaven! I was already playing D&D with a few friends as early as Jr. High School but my job selling games sold me on this hobby. I think a friend named Brian was the first one to introduce me to the hobby, I remember playing a mage named Pyro dual wielding wand of fireballs blowing up the Village of Hommlet, good times, good times!

(An article in Asgard appears to be Hals' earliest credit on the geek, but there appear to be some things where he's not credited - I own some of them and will make corrections)

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2. RPG Item: Law Dogs [Average Rating:7.79 Overall Rank:1014]

Steve

(sdonohue)

United States
Allen Park
Michigan

Did any of your previous jobs or education help you become a game designer?

My previous law enforcement background does help if I am working on a modern or future setting. School helped because it taught me to love to read, if there is one thing I can say against video games and TV, is there are so many options it puts reading as an after thought unlike when I was a kid.

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3. RPG Item: Bluffside: City on the Edge (3.5) [Average Rating:7.00 Unranked]

Steve

(sdonohue)

United States
Allen Park
Michigan

What was the first project you worked on? What was that like?

The first project I worked on professionally was Bluffside: City on the Edge, for d20 in 2000, before that I did some of the FanCC books. The experience was great, we had a blast and it just came together with a great crew, I am proud to say we are reworking it for Castles & Crusades and some of the same team are working on it, it is great getting back together with the old band.

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4. RPG: Castles & Crusades [Average Rating:7.56 Overall Rank:319]

Steve

(sdonohue)

United States
Allen Park
Michigan

What’s the most recent project you’ve worked on and what’s great about it?

As stated above we are working on Castles and Crusades, Bluffside: City on the Edge, it is a great city book with so much personality that I am hoping the C&C community enjoy it as much as the the original was enjoyed by the d20 community. We are adding some new POI's (places of interest) as well as some fresh material. I also have an anthology that I am working on with a team of writers based on a fantasy setting that I created and will be published in paperback in early 2013, and a possible Kickstarter later this year for a limited edition hardcover.

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5. Family: Dungeons & Dragons

Steve

(sdonohue)

United States
Allen Park
Michigan

What games influenced you?

Dungeon and Dragons (all editions), Gamma World, Top Secret, Aftermath, Twilight 2000 as a youth, recently C&C, Savage Worlds, Pathfinder.

Books influenced me as much as games, Stephen Donaldson, Terry Brooks, Robert Adams, Michael Moorcock, Jerry Ahern all pretty much made me the geek I am today. Also I am a huge fan of art, so that influences me as well, some of my current favorites are Todd Lockwood, JP Targete, Jeff Easley to name just a few.

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6. Board Game: Lords of Waterdeep [Average Rating:7.76 Overall Rank:57]

Steve

(sdonohue)

United States
Allen Park
Michigan

What are you playing right now or most recently?

Recently we have been playing some board games like Lords of Waterdeep. Role playing wise, Shadowrun, Star Wars, and Game of Thrones d20. I am hoping to get a Pathfinder game online with fellow author Darrin Drader soon.

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7. Genre: Science Fiction (Post Apocalypse)

Steve

(sdonohue)

United States
Allen Park
Michigan

Who is one of your favorite RPG Designers?

This is very hard to say, I do not have any favorite designers that I will buy any/all of their stuff, I can tell you my favorite genre is post-apocalyptic. I do follow a bunch of designers like: Monte Cook, Matt Forbeck, Chris Pramas to name a few. Monte hinted a new game he will be releasing will be post-apocalyptic, so consider me a pre-order!

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8. RPG: Advanced Dungeons & Dragons (1st Edition) [Average Rating:7.16 Overall Rank:92]

Steve

(sdonohue)

United States
Allen Park
Michigan

What RPG do you wish you had designed?

Well I think I have to say D&D, but also Gamma World, TMNT RPG (man I loved that one as a kid). I will say I am honored for any and all games I am asked to help with and am very open to helping or give my experiences over the last 10+ years if someone needs it.

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9. Video Game: The Secret World [Average Rating:7.42 Overall Rank:2088]

Steve

(sdonohue)

United States
Allen Park
Michigan

What non-RPG (either card, board, or video) games do you play?

Lords of Waterdeep, I try most MMO's, newest one I am going to try is The Secret World, before that was Star Wars:TOR MMO, and overall I was unhappy with that game. I have always wanted to play a CCG, but never had. I do have some RPG's, computer games and board games I have ordered through Kickstarter.com and that is one of my newest addictions.

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10. RPG: Warhammer Fantasy Roleplay (2nd Edition) [Average Rating:7.62 Overall Rank:29]

Steve

(sdonohue)

United States
Allen Park
Michigan

If you had to point someone to an overlooked RPG product, what would that be?

Warhammer RPG, second edition, we have had some great campaigns over the years with that system.

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11. RPG: Secrets & Lies (Daniel Bayn) [Average Rating:0.00 Unranked]

Steve

(sdonohue)

United States
Allen Park
Michigan

*Bonus Question*
What are you drinking right *now*?

Sadly Diet Coke, I am not that exciting. If I can lie, let's say a fifth of tequila, straight with a lime as my chaser.

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