David F. Tepool passed away

It has been so long since I've been by here that I could not locate my old user name. I have sad news that I knew the readers of this forum would want to know.

My long-time parter and old friend David F. Tepool, creator of FASA's Star Trek Ship Combat Simulator game and co-author with Greg Poehlein and I of the original FASA Star Trek: The Role-Playing Game and many of the supplementary works, passed away today.

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
guymcl@gmail.com

Very sad news, Guy, thanks so much for passing it on.

I'm so glad he knew how greatly loved his contributions to this hobby not only were, but still are to this day. Just last night I was looking at my worn copy of STTCS thinking that it was probably time to try to replace it with a copy to take me through the next 25+ years. I went to eBay, saw that some things like the Ship Construction Manual are still so highly in demand!

I'm gratified that he knew -- and I hope you and Greg know as well -- how important your work still is to so many of us.

I will design a ship with the Ship Constuction Manual in his honor and play his game.

very sad news indeed :(

Allen

Sad to hear!

Condolences to you and David's other friends and family, Guy. Let us hope that David and John M. Ford are even now sitting down for a game of STTCS...

I'm very sad to hear this news as both the STSCS and the FASA Trek RPG are very special to me, as i'm sure they are to many people who visit this site. My sincere condolences to David's family and those of you who knew him personally.

I'm saddened by his passing. He created something really special to me, and for many Star Trek and rpg fans. I remember I bought the ST:RPG 1st ed box set way back- must've been 1983...

I was just beginning my rpg experience , starting with, as most did at the time, AD&D, which left me a little cold and flat. Fantasy sword and sorcery was never really my thing. Star Trek, on the other hand...that was magic. Two and half decades later, I may have lost my hair and gained a few pounds since those magical days, but I still play, and that boxed set is still with me.

We had so much fun with the old FASA game back in the 80s and early 90s. I think the FASA Trek game was the only SF game I've played when players didn't groan when starship combat started.

He brought me and the people I gamed with a ton of enjoyment. Maybe that's not solving world hunger, but bringing lots of people happiness ain't bad at all.

Oh, dear, I suspect this will be happening more and more often as the pioneers age... I'm still using FASA material for my ICON game, and enjoying it immensely. Many thanks to all four of you (including Mike Ford...).

I was very sorry to hear about his passing I have played both the fasa star trek rpg and the starship combat simulator. His legacy lives on in both of these games.

My condolences for the loss of your friend, Guy, and thanks for going to the trouble to let us know. I'm glad to know that he was aware people still enjoyed his work. So often, people go through life not really knowing if they've touched anyone in any way.

Of course, both the RPG and combat simulator have aged, but they've aged well in my book :)

Guy,
I'm sorry to hear his passing away. Playing the Star Trek Combat Simulator and esp. your joint creation, the trek RPG, were some of the happiest years of my life in the early to mid-80s. You don't know me, but yours and David's work made a big impression on me.

Like John M. Ford, he won't be forgotton.



John
Toronto, Canada

byteknight

Guy,

Thank you for letting us know. My only regret is that I didn't find out sooner. I don't visit these boards as frequently as I used to.

Some of my happiest memories from the 1980s are from times I spent playing FASATrek. Little did I know at the time how much it would mean to me.

As time went by it became more difficult to find people interested in playing but that didn't matter. I kept my game stuff with me all these years have always enjoyed reading through them.

I'll never forget my excitement when I learned about LUGTrek and these boards opened (was it 1999?). Since that time I've watched some of the board members produce great creative efforts both online and in print. I flip through my trek books and am proud that some of the names that appear in the credits once posted here. That spark of inspiration was due in no small part to Guy's and Dave's work.

Dave will be remembered fondly.

Sincerely, David Schneider