Over its various incarnations numerous authors, artists and developers have contributed to Dark Conspiracy. It is with great pleasure that DarkConspiracytheRPG.info presents interviews with many of these individuals; taking time to discuss not only their contributions to our favourite game but also their history in gaming and other interests.

  • [Interview] Craig Sheeley – From Darklings to Dark Ones

    Although the original incarnation of Dark Conspiracy was only with us for a few brief years, I still stand amazed by just how much material was released for our favourite game in such a short period of time. Supported by a steady stream of detailed supplements and a multitude of regular articles, Dark Conspiracy was an incredibly well-rounded roleplaying game by the time its first edition disappeared from the local game stores shelves (along with the rest of Game Designers Workshop’s catalogue).

    But, as I thought about this impressive back catalogue of material, it got me wondering just who and how did this ‘machine’ maintain its production line, and surely given the size and budgets of a small gaming company, there must be some secret in making sure Dark Conspiracy thrived and grew?

    The answer was obviously, of course, freelancers, those doughty contributors who work – to this day – to ensure that we get our fix of our favourite RPGs. And if we are talking Dark Conspiracy and freelancers then there are few names as prevalent and well respected as Craig Sheeley.

    Craig would go on to produce material for numerous publishers, including Steve Jackson Games, R Talsorian and, of course, GDW. In my gaming circles, he’s probably best known as the creator of such iconic darklings as the Mechaniacals (the Symboids), Super Rats (both favourite pf fan everywhere) and the Ptero-Raven (a creature that I used in my own adventure – Urban Nightmares), and was the author of numerous articles in GDW’s Challenge magazine and various other Dark Conspiracy supplements (including Protodimensions and the Empathic Sourcebook).

    Recently, I was able to corner Craig and have a brief chat with him about his time working with GDW and his contributions to gaming in the 90s.

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  • [Interview] Lester W. Smith – The Darklord speaks…

    Let me tell you a story of a teenage boy who just happened to wander into a small, out-of-the-way, bookstore deep in rural New Zealand during the winter months of 1992. Imagine – if you can – that same boy, sandy haired, freckled and gangly, running his eyes across the somewhat dire bookshelf of roleplaying games in that very same store. Here he glances past the abundance of 2nd edition D&D supplements, the smattering of West End Games books and FASA product, hoping beyond hope that the game that had intrigued him so much on his last visit still remained somewhere among this aging collection of books, magazines and games. After a moment of panic, his fears are allayed and there, half hidden in a dusty corner, was the book he was looking for; a different type of RPG, one whose cover – complete with armed adventurers and terrifying zombies –  promised a something fascinating and new at the gaming table!

    That teen, of course, was me and little did I know, as I scraped the last few dollars from my holiday bank account to buy this amazing game, that it would lead me on a lifetime of creativity and adventure. Adventures that could have never even be contemplated if our guest hadn’t taken up the assignment to write the most interesting RPG to ever hit our gaming shelves – Dark Conspiracy!

    It is therefore with the greatest of pleasure that I present an interview with the one and only Lester Smith (https://lestersmith.com/) – the man who was not only the creative mind behind Dark Conspiracy, but also a true legend in the roleplaying industry and a pioneer in gaming circles. If you’re a fan of Dark Conspiracy then you’ll know Lester’s name already, but even if you are only a casual gamer then you should at least know him for his time at TSR and his award winning ‘Dragon Dice’ game…

    But what am I doing… we have the gentleman himself here to tell us about his life, gaming experiences and, most importantly, his time creating Dark Conspiracy. Welcome Lester, I’m so happy that you agreed to do this interview… I can’t believe it took me so long to get around to asking you to do this!

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  • [Interview] Charles E. Gannon – Author of Darktek

    Gaming is often the gateway to greater things. Such was it for Charles Gannon, author of the Dark Conspiracy supplement Darktek. Recently DCtRPG had an opportunity to chat with Charles, about his game writing, involvement with Game Designers Workshop, and most recently his Wall Street Journal Best-Selling fiction.

    Please Note: This interview took place three years ago, and was thought lost in ruins of an old PC. Thankfully, through the wonders of modern technology, it can be resurrected to grace the pages of this website.

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  • [Interview] Eric Haddock – Author of ‘New Orleans’

    In 1992 Dark Conspiracy was on a high. The core book had proven popular and under the direction of the Games Designer Workshop (GDW) team numerous new products were in development. The first of these to hit the shelves was New Orleans, a sourcebook and adventure that explored this venerable old city and the evils that now dwell within its limits. It is DCtRPG’s pleasure to have been able to recently chat with New Orleans’ author, Eric Haddock (who currently hosts the World of Warcraft podcast, 30 Minute Cooldown), and lure him to reveal some of the details about the creation of this supplement, and his time at GDW.

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  • [Interview] Geoff Skellams – DEMONGROUND Founding Editor

    In 1998, after a brief discussion on a chat forum, three strangers decided to start a Dark Conspiracy fanzine. One of these like-minded souls was Geoff Skellams, the man who would become the heart of the zine, and in turn the inspiration for my continuing support of Dark Conspiracy (from the abortive 3rd edition through to the survival of this site and forum).

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  • [Interview] Lee Williams – 3 Hombres Editor

    Lee Williams is one of the stalwarts of Dark Conspiracy, having been involved or contributed to numerous DC products and companies over the last two decades. It was with great pleasure that DCtRPG.info was able to have a brief chat with Lee about the game, and his current role (as of 2012) as a 3Hombres editor and proofreader.

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