RIP David F. Tepool

Some very sad news this evening from Guy McLimore, co-designer of Fantasimulations Associates' seminal Star Trek The Role Playing Game, that one his friends and partners in game design has passed away. David F. Tepool was credited as co-author of the FASA RPG and was the creator of the much-loved Star Trek Starship Tactical Combat Simulator. From Guy's post on TrekRPGnet:

David had not been active in game design in a number of years, but he returned to the game industry a few years ago as the owner of Olde Rivertowne Miniatures, a mail-order minis firm based in his home town of Newburgh, IN.

David's work on Star Trek, particularly the creation of the ship combat game, was something of which he was very proud, and it always pleased him that so many people still play and enjoy the game, even though it is long, long out of print. If you are someone who visits here, you undoubtedly know his work. I am so very grateful for the years we spent working together -- some of the best of my creative life. Our trips on the road promoting the game and meeting the fans (and many of the Star Trek cast) were very special to all of us. Greg Poehlein and I tried many times to coax David into returning to design work. I'm sorry we never managed to talk him into it.

I hope those of you who have enjoyed his work will continue to play and have fun with it for years to come. Having you remember him in your thoughts when you do would mean a lot to him.

Guy McLimore

--

I certainly will remember him fondly. I still pull out the STTCS, and lurk on forums like Sub-Odeon's where the game lives and grows even now. To this day, no one has replicated the elegance and immersion of the Command & Control approach to starship combat in roleplaying, though many have tried. I just saw his Ship Construction Manual go for a crazy amount on eBay this week. That's staying power. And I still love his Dalek module for FASA's Doctor Who The Roleplaying Game.

I'm glad he knew how many hundreds of hours of fun and camaraderie he brought to so many of us over the past decades. We should all be so lucky to make that kind of contribution to this hobby we love, and we should all hope that if we do, that we know it.

RIP, David. We will remember you, and we thank you.