Erick Wujcik

Erick Wujcik
Erick Wujcik hosting a panel discussion during the Palladium Open House on May 5, 2007
Born	January 26, 1951(1951-01-26)
Died	June 7, 2008(2008-06-07) (aged 57) San Rafael, California
Occupation	Author, editor, game designer, graphic artist, programmer
Period	1979–2007
Genres	Fantasy, science fiction
Subjects	Computer programming, East Asian culture
Notable work(s)	After the Bomb Amber Diceless RPG Ninjas & Superspies Revised RECON Rifts
Notable award(s)	ENnie Award 2008 Lifetime Achievement Origins Award 2011 Hall of Fame
Partner(s)	Kathryn Kozora
Influences Roger Zelazny

Erick Wujcik (January 26, 1951 – June 7, 2008) was an American designer of both pen-and-paper and computer role-playing games, and co-founder of Palladium Books.

Gaming career

Wujcik started off as head of the gaming society at Wayne State University, and then as a computer columnist for The Detroit News where he wrote their weekly Computer Column from 1979 to 1981. That served to be a springboard for him to co-found Palladium Books alongside Kevin Siembieda and work on developing numerous role-playing games and supplements for such settings as Palladium Fantasy Role-Playing Game, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles & Other Strangeness, After the Bomb, Rifts, and many others, including Amber Diceless Roleplaying Game and Paranoia.

Wujcik was also the director of the Detroit Gaming Center, and founder of the gaming conventions known as Ambercon. In 1997 he went to work for Sierra Studios and was lead game designer on the game Return to Krondor. He also served as a game designer at Outrage Entertainment for the game Alter Echo.

Wujcik served as chief editor of Amberzine, a fanzine for the Amber Diceless Roleplaying Game, publishing the work of such notables as Ray Bradbury, Henry Kuttner, and Roger Zelazny. He was also an editorial contractor for the Detroit Historical Museum, and gave seminars on a wide range of topics related to the writing, design and development of role-playing games.

From 2004 to 2006, Wujcik was Game Design Studio Manager for UbiSoft China, in Shanghai.

Until his death in June 2008, Wujcik was Senior Game Designer and Writer for Totally Games, located in Marin County, California.

Illness and death

On December 22, 2007, it was announced that Wujcik had been diagnosed with pancreatic cancer. The same day, Kevin Siembieda set up a website for well-wishers to leave Wujcik messages:

Erick Wujcik, age 56, is dying of cancer. Until a few weeks ago, Erick was healthy and doing fine. He was enjoying his work at Totally Games, a videogame company, when he thought he had come down with the flu. When he couldn’t shake it, he went to the doctors. The diagnosis was unexpected, to say the least. Pancreatic cancer that had spread to his liver. There was no advance warning. It was a shock. Erick presses forward with the willful exuberance he has exhibited all his life.

In his final months, chemotherapy treatments had failed to eradicate Wujcik's cancer and were halted. He entered hospice care in his home in San Rafael, California.

On June 6, 2008, Kevin Siembieda released an update on Erick's condition:

I’m sorry to report that Erick is quite ill now and suffering from the consequences of a failing liver. His deteriorating condition is not a surprise, but it is unwelcomed. Erick has beat the odds and fooled the doctors – fooled everyone – by lasting as long as he has, but then Erick has always been full of surprises and magic. But even the power of the “Wuj” has its limits, and I fear it won’t be long now.

Erick Wujcik died the following day, June 7, 2008.

Awards and honors

In August 2008, the first – and, to date, only – Liftetime Achievement ENnies were given out during the awards ceremony at Gen Con. Along with Dungeons & Dragons creators Dave Arneson and Gary Gygax, Erick Wujcik was recognized for his contributions to the gaming industry. However, being aware of his diagnosis and uncertain of his prognosis, EN World decided to present Wujcik with his award on January 26, 2008, at a gathering of family and friends to celebrate his 57th birthday. Kevin Siembieda later offered remarks in remembrance of Wujcik at the official ceremony.

Wujcik was also inducted into the Academy of Adventure Gaming Arts and Design Hall of Fame by the Game Manufacturers Association at the 37th Origins Awards on June 25, 2011.

Bibliography

Palladium Books

After the Bomb

• Wujcik, E. & Balent, M. (January 1986). After the Bomb (1st ed.). ISBN 09-16211-150.  [Out of Print]
• Wujcik, E. & Siembieda, K. (October 1986). Road Hogs. ISBN 0-916211-207.  [Out of Print]
• Wujcik, E. (June 1988). Mutants Down Under. ISBN 0916211-34-7.  [Out of Print]
• Wujcik, E. (July 1990). After the Bomb Book Four: Mutants of the Yucatan. ISBN 0-916211-44-4.  [Out of Print]
• Wujcik, E. (December 1990). Adventures in the Yucatan. ISBN 0-916211-45-2.  [Out of Print]
• Wujcik, E. & Siembieda, K. (December 2001). After the Bomb (2nd ed.). ISBN 0-916211-15-0. 

Beyond the Supernatural

• McCall, R.; Siembieda, K. & Wujcik, E. (October 1987). Beyond the Supernatural (1st ed.). ISBN 0-916211-18-5.  [Out of Print]
• Siembieda, K.; Long, K. & Wujcik, E. (October 1990). Boxed Nightmares—An Adventure Sourcebook for Beyond the Supernatural. ISBN 0-916211-41-X.  [Out of Print]

Heroes Unlimited

• Long, K.; Siembieda, K.; Sheiring, S.; Marciniszyn, A.; Rosenstein, J.; Wujcik, E.; Gustovich, M. & Donald-Siembieda, A. (May 1992). Villains Unlimited: A Sourcebook for Heroes Unlimited (1st ed.). ISBN 0-916211-49-5.  [Out of Print]
• Siembieda, K.; Breaux, W., Jr.; Wujcik, E.; Long, K.; Oliver, A. & Trustrum, S. (March 1998). Heroes Unlimited, Revised Second Edition. ISBN 0-57457-006-4. 

Martial arts

• Wujcik, E. (July 1983). The Palladium Book of Weapons and Assassins. ISBN 0-916211-03-7.  [Out of Print]
• Wujcik, E. (August 1990). Ninjas & Superspies (Rev. ed.). ISBN 0-916211-31-2. 
• Wujcik, E. & Siembieda, K. (February 1995). Mystic China. ISBN 0-916211-77-0. 

Palladium Fantasy Role-Playing Game

• Siembieda, K. & Wujcik, E. (June 1984). The Palladium Role-Playing Game (RPG) (Rev. ed.). ISBN 0-916211-04-2.  [Out of Print] - "Tombs of Gersidi" adventure scenario
• Siembieda, K.; Jacques, C.; Cartier, R.; McCall, R.; Marciniszyn, A. & Wujcik, E. (July 1987). The Palladium RPG Book III: Adventures on the High Seas. ISBN 0-916211-17-7.  [Out of Print]
• Bartold, T.; Boucher, G. S.; Davies, K.; Gomez, J.; Long, K.; Marciniszyn, A.; Siembieda, K. & Wujcik, E. (October 1989). The Palladium RPG Book IV: Adventures in the Northern Wilderness. ISBN 0-916211-39-8.  [Out of Print]
• Siembieda, K. & Wujcik, E. (December 1996). Dragons & Gods: A Sourcebook for the Palladium Fantasy RPG, Second Edition. ISBN 1-916211-98-3. 
• Siembieda, K.; Wujcik, E.; Cartier, R.; Marciniszyn, A.; Jacques, C. & McCall, R. (December 1996). Palladium Fantasy RPG Book III: Adventures on the High Seas—Second Edition. ISBN 0-916211-17-7. 
• Wujcik, E.; Siembieda, K.; Coffin, B.; Bartold, T.; Marciniszyn, A.; Jacques, C. & Long, K. (February 2003). Wolfen Empire Adventure Sourcebook. ISBN 1-57457-063-3. 

Revised RECON

• Wujcik, E.; Siembieda, K.; Balent, M. & Siembieda, M. (June 1986). The Revised RECON. ISBN 0-916211-19-3.  [Out of Print]
• Wujcik, E. (February 1987). Advanced RECON: Supplemental Rules and Adventures. ISBN 0-916211-24-X.  [Out of Print]
• Wujcik, E.; Siembieda, K.; Balent, M. & Siembieda, M. (April 1999). Deluxe Revised RECON. ISBN 1-57457-023-4. 

Rifts

• Wujcik, E.; Siembieda, K.; Dudley, M. & Clark, B. C. (January 2004). Rifts World Book 24: China 1—The Yama Kings. ISBN 1-57457-094-3. 
• Wujcik, E.; Siembieda, K.; Gleba, C. & Yoho, T. (August 2004). Rifts World Book 25: China 2—Heroes of the Celestial Court. ISBN 1-57457-095-1. 
• Siembieda, K.; Bellaire, C.; Therrien, S.; Ward, T. & Wujcik, E. (August 2005). Rifts Role-Playing Game, Ultimate Edition. ISBN 1-57457-150-9. 

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles

• Wujcik, E. (September 1985). Eastman and Laird's Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles & Other Strangeness (TMNT). ISBN 0-916211-14-2.  [Out of Print]
• Wujcik, E. (June 1986). TMNT Adventures!. ISBN 0-916211-16-5.  [Out of Print]
• Wujcik, E. (May 1987). Eastman and Laird's TMNT Guide to the Universe. ISBN 0-916211-25-8.  [Out of Print]
• Wujcik, E. (April 1989). Transdimensional TMNT. ISBN 0-916211-35-5.  [Out of Print]

The Rifter

• Wujcik, E. (January 1998). Smith, W. ed. "The Name Giver". The Rifter (1): 8–12. ISBN 1-57457-009-9.  [Out of Print]
• Wujcik, E. (April 1998). Smith, W. ed. "Thinking Big". The Rifter (2): 8–10. ISBN 1-57457-012-9.  [Out of Print]
• Wujcik, E. (February 2006). Smith, W. ed. "The Name Giver" and "Thinking Big". Best of "The Rifter": 9–16. ISBN 1-57457-160-5.  - Reprinted from Issues 1 and 2.
• Smith, W., ed (July 2008). The Rifter (43). ISBN 1-57457-135-6.  - Special tribute issue.

Phage Press

• Wujcik, E. & Zelazny, R. (November 1991). Amber Diceless Role-Playing. Detroit, MI: Phage Press. ISBN 1-880494-00-0.  [Out of Print]
• Wujcik, E. & Zelazny, R. (December 1993). Shadow Knight. Detroit, MI: Phage Press. ISBN 1-880494-01-9.  [Out of Print]

West End Games

• Wujcik, E. (1986). Paranoia: Clones in Space. New York City, NY: West End Games. ISBN 0-87431-042-3.  [Out of Print]
• Rolston, K.; Wujcik, E. & Bolme, E. S. (June 2007). Paranoia: Flashbacks II. Swindon, England: Mongoose Publishing. ISBN 1-90585-004-2. 

External links

• Erick Wujcik's Homepage Archived from the original on January 29, 2011
• Erick Wujcik: One of the Great Game Designers tribute page
• The Official Amber Diceless Role-Playing Game and Erick Wujcik Fanforum
• Places to Go, People to Be interview – "Jobs for the Boys: Roleplaying and Computing Careers"
• Guide du Rôliste Galactique: Encyclopédie—Biographie de l'auteur Erick Wujcik (French)