Q) How did Broncosaurus Rex come about?

A) It all started with a comic book by Ricardo Delgado called Age of Reptiles. Age of Reptiles is a dinosaur comic, and Delgado really makes his dinosaurs come alive - they have loyalties, rivalries, and a wide range of emotions. That made me decide I wanted to do a dinosaur game. But dinosaurs by themselves weren't enough; I wanted some angle to make it uniquely compelling. In my mind's eye, I tried to figure out what would make the most interesting visual complement to a T-rex. I settled on a Confederate flag. And then I went from there.

Q) What are some things Broncosaurus Rex offers that other d20 games don't? What makes it so unique?

A) Well, dinosaurs, for starters! There aren't any games out there (d20 or otherwise) that treat dinosaurs as intelligent, tactical creatures. (At least, not that I know of.) The Broncosaurus Rex world itself is interesting, too. There's something really intriguing about the image of a rebel soldier flying a Confederate flag as his T-rex mount bears down on a Union hovertank. It offers a different kind of adventure than most other games.

Q) Who or what are your influences?

A) Tough question! I read a lot; mostly non-fiction with some classic fiction (I love Dickens) and a lot of comic books. I've lived in San Francisco for three years. SF is a good creative stimulant - very diverse, lots of quirky shops that expose me to fossils and art and books and magic tricks and general weirdness that I might otherwise not encounter. I actually started out expressing myself with drawing rather than writing - I'm one of those recreational scribblers who is pretty good for an amateur and pretty bad for a professional - but a high school English teacher turned me on to writing and I've never looked back. My uncle is a herpetologist who runs a botanical garden, and he used to mail me snakes and lizards when I was a kid. And lately I've been really enamored with the Blueberry western series (the one by Charlier and Moebius). Maybe that has something to do with Broncosaurus Rex.

Q) How did Richard Delgado and Mark Schultz influence you?

A) Delgado first showed me intelligent dinosaurs. Mark Schultz is an incredible artist, and he's an even better comics writer. His Xenozoic Tales (and later Cadillacs and Dinosaurs) is one of those once-in-a-lifetime series that just has it all. Broncosaurus Rex aspires to be a game world with the dinosaurs of Delgado and the adventure and political intrigue of Schultz.

Q) What other games besides Broncosaurus Rex have you created or contributed to?

A) I wrote Mental Powers & Machine Guns when I was 11 or 12 years old… but I suppose you mean professional works, right? I contributed to some Warzone supplements when I was at Heartbreaker and later Target Games. I did The Dark Library, a 40K magazine from a while back. When I was working for Alternative Armies, I wrote three miniatures games - one sci-fi, one Celtic fantasy, and one traditional fantasy. Alternative Armies eventually went bankrupt before publishing my games, then reincarnated themselves, the way many game companies do… Of the games I did for them, the sci-fi one was the most interesting, so I may publish it myself one of these days.

Q) What would you like to see in Broncosaurus Rex's future?

A) Good question! Lots of interesting supplements, and not just those written by me. More exploration of the Free Fleet and the Union - I know my bias toward the Confederacy came out in the first book, and I want to correct it. (Hey, I'm from Atlanta - I can't help it!) Some dinosaurs that could have evolved on Earth, but didn't… but have evolved on Cretasus. (That one is in the works.) And ultimately a miniatures game and a comic book - that would be cool. I love miniatures.

Q) What sort of obstacles have you experienced in the creation of your d20 games?

A) Well, the usual obstacles of a small company - persuading retailers to try me out, opening up new distribution channels, and so on - but with one twist: my game is weird. I think that's made it more difficult to get people to try it out. But once they try it they always seem to like it.

Q) What has been the most rewarding thing to happen so far?

A) Two things: First, working with artists to see my words as pictures. Second, getting feedback from readers who take my ideas and expand on them in ways I never would have thought of.

Q) Looking back, is there anything you would have liked to have done differently?

A) Well, I think all game worlds evolve as the writer tries different things. Part of that is inevitable, as the writer continues working on the world, and part happens only after publication, as fans and collaborators fuel the creative process after reading each new release. There are so many new ideas for the game world - both mine and other people's - that I wish I could have put into the first book. But I guess that's what second editions are for. I hope Broncosaurus Rex makes it to a second edition!

Q) What are some things you would tell new d20 creators?

A) You said "creators," so the first thing I would mention is that a creator is different from a publisher. People should understand that difference before they self-publish. But as far as advice for creators goes… I'd say: First, do something different. The world doesn't need yet another d20 book about dwarves or sea combat. Second, find others to help you. I know my limits (at least, I think I do!) so I found artists and other writers to help me. Your creation will be better if you focus on what you're good at, and get other people to help you in areas where they're good. And finally, love your editor! A good editor makes your work better. Find a good editor who you can work with, and you won't regret it.