Pete ‘Doc’ Madden

I am passionate about all areas of the gaming hobby, including RPGs, miniature painting, wargaming, card games and board games, and run a local gaming group.

My introduction to RPGs occurred when I overheard two schoolmates playing with a manticore ‘lead’ miniature and strange polyhedral dice in German class. Being a fan of Ray Harryhausen movies and Tolkein stories I wanted to know more, so they invited me to their AD&D game and I became an instant addict. I played AD&D for several years, writing my own adventures, some of which were based in the ‘The Land’ from Stephen R. Donaldson’s Thomas Covenant series. I then explored other systems, such as Call of Cthulhu, Runequest and Traveller.

Our group drifted apart when we went our separate ways to university or college. I would return home every weekend from Bolton Institute of Higher Education, and having no gaming friends available locally I persuaded my brother and some of his mates to try roleplaying games. Our group grew to over a dozen players, and we ventured into newer systems like Vampire: The Masquerade, Marvel Superheroes, and Cyberpunk 2020.

When grown-up ‘real life’ duties became a priority, I foolishly gave away all my RPG books and miniatures as my gaming life went into a deep freeze. I finally emerged from gaming stasis in 2017 when I started playing the Android: Netrunner living card game and The Walking Dead: All Out War skirmish game at a local club, and these days I can mostly be found in my hobby den working on my plastic “mountain of shame” and playing a ruthless space pirate in the EVE Online MMO.

If I had to pick some favourite RPGs they would be Golden Heroes, Judge Dredd, Call of Cthulhu and Cyberpunk 2020.

Carl Meister

I’ve a lot to thank my good friend Pete for; introducing me to Call of Cthulhu 2nd edition back in the 80s. I’d always had a fondness for horror and dived in head first.

We played as much as homework would allow, alternating between Cthulhu, Runequest, Judge Dredd and Golden Heroes with the occasional MERP and Traveller thrown in. Games Workshop and White Dwarf were our guide and I still think it was the best magazine before they moved away from roleplaying games.

We’re still as passionate today as ever and believe that the stars are finally right to publish some of our darkest adventures.