Lenard Lakofka - Before D&D

Before D&D

While living in Chicago in the 1960s, Len Lakofka became involved in wargames, including Avalon Hill's Diplomacy. His increasing interest in Diplomacy led him to join the International Federation of Wargamers, and through the IFW met its vice-president, game designer Gary Gygax. In 1968, Gary Gygax convinced the IFW to organize a one-day convention called Gen Con at the Horticultural Hall in Lake Geneva WI. Lakofka was by this time president of the IFW, and travelled to Lake Geneva to help set up, run events and clean up. At the end of the day, before taking down his sand table and locking up the Hall, Gygax introduced a new set of miniatures rules to Lakofka and a few others. Those rules would subsequently be published as Chainmail, a precursor to D&D.

Back in Chicago in 1969, Lakofka wrote the first issue of his own "Dippy 'zine"—a fanzine devoted to Diplomacy—titled Liaisons Dangereuses. He would eventually publish 81 issues over the next 8 years. In 1969, he also was the organizer of Gen Con II.