Let's do some obligatory About Me Page type stuff!
Mike "Mortellan" Bridges has been haunting the wild prairies of southern Ullinois for nearly five decades. He is currently a multi-class 20th level Innkeeper-3rd level Courtier with extra ranks in Craft (Comics) and Knowledge (Sports Trivia). Besides being a Lawful Neutral patron of the Mighty Thor and Led Zeppelin, Mortellan is never without his Everfull Tea Pitcher and a tattered copy of the Guide to the World of Greyhawk.
How long have I been running the World of Greyhawk?
Since around 1983 when a friend first of mine showed me the strangely fascinating hexagonal Darlene maps and the equally esoterical Dungeon Master's Guide, then explained the concept of Dungeon Mastering to me. I quickly took over the DM screen after that and haven't given it up since.
Which era of Greyhawk do I prefer?
I've love all the eras of Greyhawk equally. I break my own campaigns down into three distinct eras which had their own highlights:
Golden Age Greyhawk: (1st Edition Gygax-hawk) Total Monty Haul gaming from my teenage years. At first the simple stuff is tackled like Tomb of Horrors and White Plume Mountain. Then the players raise an army and totally conquer the map in a day.
Silver Age Greyhawk: (2nd Edition Sargent-hawk) I pulled a 'Dallas'. Golden Age was a dream! More mature gaming yet back when we still had loads of time to game. Adventures like Greyhawk Ruins, Temple of Elemental Evil, Vecna Lives and City of Skulls are among the best I've ran.
Current Age Greyhawk: (Mona-Holian-hawk) 3rd Edition leads to a new start up and new villains are used besides the usual Iuz and Vecna. Notably Eli Tomorast, Iggwilv and Abi Dalzim. Characters go Epic and find out how out of control 3rd Edition can get. A second generation campaign is started 20 years later, 615CY. Maure Castle renews the rivalry with Eli Tomorast and the Age of Worms defines the second generation. This campaign is currently on hiatus until I can decide which system to go with into the future.
What is my favorite settings and games OTHER THAN Greyhawk?
I ran Forgotten Realms when it was in the gray box and had quite a good time, but my 2nd favorite setting after Greyhawk has always been Ravenloft. I made use of the Planescape setting quite a bit but attached to my Greyhawk campaigns usually. I totally regret not running Spelljammer though, and you can see me play out those fantasies through my Gods in Space comic series. Other than D&D I have been known to run Shadowrun and Mutants and Masterminds.
Who are my favorite authors?
I'd have to say J.R.R. Tolkien without a doubt is #1. The Hobbit is my favorite novel and I try to read it annually. Besides Tolkien in the fantasy genre, I have a sizeable collection of Fritz Lieber (Fafhrd and the Grey Mouser), Michael Moorcock (Elric series), George R.R. Martin (Song of Ice and Fire) and R.E.Howard (Conan). I don't read too much D&D related fiction, having failed to stay on the Forgotten Realm tread-mill once, but the original Dragonlance Saga was perfect and I actually dig Saga of Old City by Gygax.
Who are my favorite artists?
This list is too long to recount but I'll try. In no particular order: Sergio Aragones, Wayne Reynolds, Clyde Caldwell, Darlene Pekul, Walt Simonson, Dave Trampier, Larry Elmore, Dave Sutherland, Todd Lockwood, Rebecca Guay, Frank Frazetta, Erol Otus, Brom, Tony DiTerilizzi, Jeff Dee, Jim Holloway, Jack Kirby, Aaron Williams, John Bescuma, Barry Windsor Smith, Alex Ross, John Byrne, Dave Gibbons, plus more?
More Mortellica to come!
