Allen Varney's Bibliography
Revised March 2005 (lightly updated June 2009)
SOFTWARE DESIGN AND DOCUMENTATION
Tangled Tales, 2400 AD, Space Rogue, and Windwalker, computer roleplaying games (Origin Systems, Inc., 1989). Documentation and text contributions.
Castles Campaign Disk #1, expansion for Castles simulation/strategy game (Interplay, 1992). Text contributions.
The Two Towers (Interplay, 1992) and Return of the King (Interplay,cancelled 1994), computer roleplaying games. Design and pseudocode scripting of "Ithilien" and "Paths of the Dead" sections.
MadMaze II, online text adventure game for Prodigy (cancelled 1992). Plot and script.
Magic: The Gathering Battlemage (Acclaim, 1997). Minor text contributions.
Junction Point, massively multiplayer fantasy roleplaying game, changed in midstream (arrgh) to single-player science-fiction roleplaying game (Looking Glass Technologies, cancelled 1997). Principal design.
Guardians: Agents of Justice, turn-based superhero strategy game (Microprose, cancelled 1998). Text contributions.
Lobby: A Game of Congressional Power Politics, satirical online browser-based multiplayer game (GameWorld Technologies, cancelled 2000). Design, programming, and graphics in GameWire, proprietary Java-based visual toolset.
ATMA: The Light of Mythic India, first-person roleplaying/puzzle game set in ancient India using the Unreal Warfare engine (4D Games, in progress). Complete storyline, major design contributions, character descriptions, dialogue, promotional copy.
Star Wars: Galaxies (Sony Online Entertainment, launched June 2003). Massively multiplayer online game. Mission design and character dialogue.
Executive Challenge (University of Texas McCombs Business School Plus Program/Enspire Learning). Multiplayer business ethics/leadership simulation for 350 second-year MBA students. Sponsored by Dell Corporation and H-E-B Grocery Company. Staged October 2003 in paper-and-token version. Multiplayer computer version by Enspire Learning developed October 2004-date. Design and ongoing content creation.
BOOKS
Through Six Dimensions (TSR, Inc., 1987). Fourth in the "Marvel Super Heroes" licensed series of adventure gamebooks, featuring the comic book superhero Doctor Strange. Reprinted in Great Britain (London: Puffin Books, 1988).
The Vanishing City (TSR, 1987). Fifteenth in the "Advanced Dungeons & Dragons" adventure gamebook series. Translated into Danish (Den Forsvunde By, Copenhagen: Borgen, 1989) and Portuguese (A Cidade Desaparecida, Publicacoes Europa-America, Lda., 1992).
The Willow Sourcebook (Tor Books, 1988). Licensed tie-in for the George Lucas film "Willow"(1988).
Knight of the Living Dead (TSR, 1989). Third in the "Catacombs" series of illustrated trade paperback adventure gamebooks.
Galactic Challenge (TSR, 1995). "Endless Quest" book based on the Amazing Engine roleplaying setting The Galactos Barrier.
Piercing a Veil (FASA). Novel in the Earthdawn series. Unpublished in English; published in German translation, 1998.
Cast of Fate (TSR, 1996). First (and only) novel in the Dragon Dice series.
STORIES
"Shackles," in Freedom (TSR, 1991), adventure (number DS1) for the AD&D "Dark Sun" campaign setting.
"Water and Ashes," DRAGON #185, September 1992. Story in the "Dark Sun" setting.
"Boneyard Lights" (written with Aaron Allston), in Asticlian Gambit (TSR, 1992), adventure (number DSQ3) for the AD&D "Dark Sun" setting.
"Djinn Coffee" (written with Aaron Allston), Dragon #189, January 1993. Historical fantasy.
DRAMA
"Goblin Tax," half-hour radio comedy (1982); produced 1987 by SHOCKWAVE, weekly radio comedy program in Minneapolis, MN. Cast: David E. Romm, Jerry Stearns, Beth Eastman, Ed Eastman, Kara Dalkey, Steven Brust, Suzanne Ristau, Jeffrey McNair. First broadcast November 1987 on KFAI-FM Minneapolis, 90.3 FM; repeated there and elsewhere around the country to date. Live performance staged for MarsCon 2001 (Minneapolis, MN).
BOARDGAMES AND OTHER GAMES
Necromancer (Steve Jackson Games, 1983). Two-player fantasy boardgame.
GLOBBO (Steve Jackson Games, 1984). Two-player science fantasy boardgame.
Illuminati Expansion Set 3 (Steve Jackson Games, 1985). Boardgame supplement (designed with Steve Jackson) to card game Illuminati. Republished 2001 as Brainwash.
Gammarauders (TSR, 1987). Multi-player science fantasy boardgame.
Cardcasting (working title; Wizards of the Coast). Expansion set for Magic: The Gathering. Unpublished; published as three "Vanguard" series of Magic specialty cards for Wizards' Arena in-store tournament league.
Donruss Baseball (Donruss/Leaf, Inc.). Trading card game using Donruss baseball cards. Unpublished.
Istanbul (with Paul Jimenez). Abstract multi-player historical boardgame. In progress.
ROLEPLAYING GAME
PARANOIA (Mongoose Publishing, 2004). All-new (fourth) edition of the bestselling satirical science-fiction paper-and-pencil roleplaying game of a darkly humorous future, originally designed by Dan Gelber, Greg Costikyan, and Eric Goldberg and published by West End Games in 1984. Design and layout. Also packaged the first two years of the PARANOIA support line for Mongoose; see "Roleplaying Supplements" below.
ROLEPLAYING SUPPLEMENTS
Send In The Clones (West End Games, 1985). Adventure for Paranoia (written with Warren Spector). Reprinted in The Computer Always Shoots Twice (1988). Translated into French (Envoyez les Clones, Paris: Jeux Descartes, 1986).
TOON Silly Stuff (Steve Jackson Games, 1985). Supplement for TOON, The Cartoon Roleplaying Game. Additional material by Kyle Miller, Caroline Chase, and Warren Spector. Later collected in the TOON Deluxe Edition (1992).
Son of TOON (Steve Jackson Games, 1986). Supplement for TOON. Erroneously listed on contents page as a collaboration with Warren Spector and Kyle Miller. Later collected in the TOON Deluxe Edition.
Five Coins for a Kingdom (TSR, 1987). Adventure (number M4) for Dungeons & Dragons.
Deluxe City Campaign Set (TSR, 1989). Boxed campaign supplement for Marvel Super Heroes.
Mystic Masters (Iron Crown Enterprises/Hero Games, 1989). Campaign supplement for Champions.
Wildspace (TSR, 1990). Adventure (number SJA1) for the Advanced Dungeons & Dragons "Spelljammer" campaign background.
Death, Lies, and Vidtape [sic] (West End Games, 1990). Adventure for Paranoia.
The "Blood Brethren" Trilogy (TSR): Nightwail (1990); Nightrage (1991); Nightstorm (1991). Adventures for the Dungeons & Dragons "Hollow World" campaign background (numbers HWA1-3).
Talinie and Ariya (TSR, 1995), Binsada (TSR, 1996). Three "domain packs" for the Advanced Dungeons & Dragons "Birthright" campaign background.
Hidden Lore (White Wolf Game Studio, 1996). Companion volume to Mage 2nd Edition Storyteller's Screen (written with Brian Campbell, Phil Brucato, and John R. Robey).
Horizon: Stronghold of Hope (White Wolf Game Studio, 1996). Supplement for Mage: The Ascension (written with Beth Fischi).
Order of Hermes (White Wolf, 1997). Tradition Book #9 for Mage (written with Beth Fischi, Nicky Rea, Jackie Cassada, Steve Long, and Mary Denning).
The Dying Earth (Pelgrane Press, 2001). 192-page hardcover based on the fantasy novels of Jack Vance. Editing, layout, minor text contributions.
PARANOIA supplements (Mongoose Publishing, 2004-6): I packaged the entire support line for the PARANOIA roleplaying game I designed for Mongoose. Products included the Gamemaster's Screen (with 24-page "mission blender" booklet), August 2004; The Traitor's Manual by Gareth Hanrahan (September 2004); Crash Priority by the Traitor Recycling Studio (November 2004); The Mutant Experience by R. Eric Reuss (January 2005); STUFF by the Traitor Recycling Studio (forthcoming April 2005); PARANOIA Flashbacks (compilation of classic West End adventures, forthcoming May 2005); WMD (July 2005); Extreme PARANOIA (August 2005); Service, Service! (October 2005); Criminal Histories (January 2006); and The Underplex (March 2006). Writing, editing, layout.
CONTRIBUTIONS TO LARGER WORKS
"An ARD Day's Night," "Reboot Camp," short adventures for Paranoia (assisted by Warren Spector), in Acute Paranoia (West End Games, 1986), reprinted in Flashbacks (Mongoose Publishing, 2005).
"Berserkers," "Halfling," "Merchant," "Dervish," "Dwarf," entries in The Book of Lairs II, supplement for Dungeons & Dragons (TSR, 1987; number REF4).
"Steaks," short adventure for Advanced Dungeons & Dragons, in Adventure Pack I (TSR, 1987; number I13).
"The Fiendish Exercise Machine of Bardolpho the Mad," "Melrond's Foolproof Dishwasher," entries in The Book of Wondrous Inventions, supplement for Dungeons & Dragons (TSR, 1987).
"Nightside Inferior Court," entry in CityBook III: Deadly Nightside (Blade/Task Force Games, 1987).
"Belvera," "Dante," "Obelix," entries in Space Atlas 2, supplement for GURPS (Steve Jackson Games, 1988).
"Autocar and Vehicle Dispatch," entry in The DOA Sector Travelogue, supplement for Paranoia (West End Games, 1989).
"Roach Motel," "Goop is Good Food" (the latter with Nancy Flowers), short adventures for Paranoia, in Crash Course Manual (West End Games, 1989).
"Conventions of Genre Fantasy," article for Fantasy Hero (second edition; Iron Crown Enterprises/Hero Games, 1990).
"Freehold Municipal Caravanserai," entry in CityBook IV: On the Road (Flying Buffalo, Inc., 1990).
"Anopheles" (published as "Horror World"), adventure for Champions, in Champions in 3-D (Iron Crown/Hero, 1990).
"The Care and Maintenance of SimEarth Robots," appendix to The SimEarth Bible by Johnny L. Wilson (Berkeley: Osborne McGraw-Hill, 1991), manual about the Maxis computer game SimEarth. Reprinted from Computer Gaming World magazine #84, July 1991.
Allegiance rules for Elric! roleplaying game, with Mark Morrison and Lynn Willis (Chaosium, 1993).
"Rituals of Advancement," rules article in Earthdawn Companion, supplement to Earthdawn (FASA Corporation, 1994).
"Parameters" and "Street Action," rules and campaign frameworks for Underground Companion, supplement to Underground (Mayfair Games, 1994).
"Desire Box," adventure for Earthdawn, in Parlainth Adventures (FASA Corporation, 1994).
Six legends (written with Don Webb) for Legends of Earthdawn (FASA Corporation, 1995).
"Nebis" and two legends for Horrors, supplement to Earthdawn (FASA Corporation, 1995).
Appendix to Mage: The Ascension 2nd Edition roleplaying game (White Wolf Game Studio, 1995).
"Shaolin Heartbreak," adventure in Marked for Death, supplement to Feng Shui roleplaying game (Daedalus Entertainment, 1996).
"Westcape," contributions to geographical entry in Archipelago, supplement to Blue Planet science-fiction roleplaying game (Biohazard Games, 1998).
Over 250 adventures, articles, and reviews in the magazines Adventures Unlimited (Bootstrap Press), Adventurers Club (Iron Crown/Hero Games), Amazing Stories (Wizards of the Coast), Autoduel Quarterly (Steve Jackson Games), Challenge (Game Designers' Workshop), Collect! (Cadmus Publications), The Comics Journal (Fantagraphics), Computer Gaming World (Golden Empire Publications), Dragon and Dungeon (TSR), The Duelist (Wizards of the Coast), Encounter (Eon Products), The Gamer (independent), InQuest (Wizard Press), Inter*Action (later Interactive Fantasy, Hogshead Publishing), Juggle! (International Jugglers Association), Pyramid and Space Gamer (Steve Jackson Games), Star Wars Insider (Wizards of the Coast/Paizo Publishing), Tuff Stuff Gamer (Cadmus Publications), Video (Hachette-Filipacchi), etc., 1983-date.
MISCELLANEOUS
Edited Space Gamer magazine (Steve Jackson Games), 1984-5.
Frequent articles for The Austin Chronicle, local culture/political newspaper, 1985-1994, 1997-98.
"Joe's Neuroses," comic book story, Giant-Size Mini Comics (Eclipse, 1986).
Edited gaming supplements and adventures for TSR, 1988-96: Revenge of the Factoids, FRE3 Waterdeep, Spelljammer Monstrous Compendium #2, FA2 Nightmare Keep, Dragon Kings, DSR4 Valley of Dust and Fire, The Complete Paladin's Handbook, Planescape Monstrous Compendium, The Crusades, The Complete Barbarian's Handbook, When Black Roses Bloom, Chilling Tales, Something Wild, Lankhmar: The New Adventures of Fafhrd and the Grey Mouser.
RoboFest 5 program booklet, City Coliseum, Austin, Texas, March 26-27, 1994. Fifth annual high-technology exhibition by The Robot Group.
Guest editor of The Duelist issue #4, March 1995 (Wizards of the Coast). Regular reviewer of trading card games for The Duelist and InQuest magazines, 1995-98.
Magazine columns: "Role-Playing Reviews" game review column for Dragon magazine (TSR), 1989-1995, 1998. "Current Clack" gaming industry news column and "TSR ProFiles" biographical column for Dragon, December 1995-December 1998. "Reports on Trading Card Games" news column for The Duelist, March 1995-June 1998. "Name of the Game," "Myths & Legends," "Blast From the Past," and "Treasure Chest" gaming columns for InQuest, 1996-98. "Blast From the Past" trading-card column for Collect! magazine (different from the InQuest column), December 1996-May 1999.