Frank Mentzer
| Greyhawk Author | |
| Frank Mentzer | |
|---|---|
| Nationality | United States of America |
| Born | 1950 |
| Birthplace | |
| Died | n/a |
| First Greyhawk work | To the Aid of Falx |
| Alias(es) | |
Jacob Franklin Mentzer III (born in 1950), is an American fantasy author and game designer best known for his work on early materials for the Dungeons & Dragons (D&D) fantasy role-playing game. He was a performing folk musician from 1968 to 1975, and played one concert at the White House during the administration of Richard Nixon. He has been closely involved with the world's largest game auction at the GenCon game convention since 1983, and is an expert* on (and a major collector of) family boardgames and role-playing games.
Mentzer was an employee at TSR, Inc. in the early stages of the company from 1980 to 1986. In 1981 he founded the Role-Playing Games Association (RPGA). Among other positions he held at TSR, he was Creative Advisor to the Chairman of the Board, Gary Gygax.
His works have been translated into at least 11 languages, and his 1983 - 1986 boxed sets of core D&D rules sold millions of copies worldwide.
He has also authored materials for Gygax's Fantasy Master series, as well as the Cyborg Commando role-playing game (published by New Infinities Productions Inc., aka NIPI), which he helped develop along with Gygax and Kim Mohan.
Mentzer left the game industry after the demise of Gygax's NIPI. His few publishing credits thereafter include:
- Cooking Without Fire with Paul Kamikawa (1992)
- "Trust at the Gaming Table", in the Origins Award-winning Game Master Secrets Vol. II (Grey Ghost Press, 2003)
He currently resides in Minocqua, WI where he is the General Manager of a bakery called "The Baker's House," which he runs with his wife Debbie.
Greyhawk works
- Gygax, E. Gary, and Frank Mentzer. The Temple of Elemental Evil. Lake Geneva, WI: TSR, 1985.
- Mentzer, Frank. "The 384th Incarnation of Bigby's Tomb." Polyhedron #20. Lake Geneva, WI: TSR, Inc., 1984.
- -----. R10 Air Plane!. Lake Geneva, WI: TSR Hobbies, 1982.
- -----. "Ay pronunseeAYshun gyd." Dragon #93. Lake Geneva, WI: TSR, 1985.
- -----. R6 Bigby's Tomb. Lake Geneva, WI: TSR, Inc., 1984.
- -----. R4 Doc's Island. Lake Geneva, WI: TSR Hobbies, 1983.
- -----. R7 "Dwarven" Quest for the Rod of Seven Parts. Lake Geneva, WI: TSR Hobbies, 1982.
- -----. R3 Egg of the Phoenix. Lake Geneva, WI: TSR Hobbies, 1982.
- -----. R5 Great Bugbear Hunt. Lake Geneva, WI: TSR Hobbies, 1982.
- -----. "The Great Bugbear Hunt." Polyhedron #28. Lake Geneva, WI: TSR, Inc., 1985.
- -----. R2 The Investigation of Hydell. Lake Geneva, WI: TSR Hobbies, 1982.
- -----. R9 Tinker's Canyon. Lake Geneva, WI: TSR Hobbies, 1982.
- -----. R1 To the Aid of Falx. Lake Geneva, WI: TSR Hobbies, 1982.
- -----. R8 Yog's Dessert. Lake Geneva, WI: TSR Hobbies, 1982.
- Mentzer, Frank, and Paul Jaquays. Egg of the Phoenix. Lake Geneva, WI: TSR, 1987.
