Wilf K. Backhaus

Lore & Background

Wilf K. Backhaus and Edward E. Simbalist designed a role-playing game called Chevalier, which they brought to Gen Con IX in 1976 hoping to sell it to TSR. After witnessing Gary Gygax berate a staff member, Simbalist decided not to approach Gygax. At the convention, they met Scott Bizar of Fantasy Games Unlimited, who helped get the game published over the next year as Chivalry & Sorcery (1977). Backhaus and Simbalist also authored The Chivalry & Sorcery Sourcebook (1978) and Chivalry & Sorcery, 2nd edition (1984).

Backhaus founded the 'Loyal Order of Chivalry & Sorcery' (Locs) and was a baron in the SCA. He was also a published philosopher, with academic articles on Hume and bioethics. He moderated a panel at a conference at University of Maryland, College Park and was a special guest at the Calgary Games Convention (CalCon). He died on 14 October 2009 after a two-year battle with cancer.

Reader's Guide

Wilf K. Backhaus's significance lies in his co-creation of Chivalry & Sorcery, one of the earliest role-playing games to compete with Dungeons & Dragons. Published in 1977 by Fantasy Games Unlimited, C&S offered a more detailed medieval simulation and attracted a dedicated following. Backhaus's background as a lawyer and business professor, combined with his philosophical publications, gave him a unique perspective in the early RPG industry. His work on multiple editions of C&S and related games like Rapier & Dagger and Archaeron helped shape the hobby's development. The story of how Chevalier became C&S after a chance meeting at Gen Con IX illustrates the informal, entrepreneurial nature of early tabletop gaming. Backhaus's legacy endures through the continued influence of C&S on later fantasy role-playing systems.

Did You Know?

• Backhaus co-designed Chevalier, which was later published as Chivalry & Sorcery after a meeting with Scott Bizar at Gen Con IX.
• He was a baron in the Society for Creative Anachronism (SCA).
• He authored philosophical articles on Hume and bioethics, including 'Hume's Touchstone and the Politics of Meaningful Discourse'.

The Birth of Chivalry & Sorcery

In 1976, Wilfried Karl Backhaus and Edward E. Simbalist carried their homebrew role-playing game, Chevalier, to Gen Con IX with ambitions of landing a publishing deal with TSR. The convention, however, delivered an unexpected turning point. After observing Gary Gygax harshly berate a staff member, Simbalist lost the will to pitch the game to the company's founder, effectively closing that door. Yet the convention proved fruitful in an unforeseen way: the pair crossed paths with Scott Bizar of Fantasy Games Unlimited, who recognized the potential in their design. Over the following year, Bizar helped shepherd the project into publication, and in 1977 Chivalry & Sorcery hit the shelves as Fantasy Games Unlimited's inaugural title. It arrived as one of the earliest serious competitors to Dungeons & Dragons, carving out its own identity in the nascent tabletop gaming landscape. Backhaus and Simbalist continued to shape the game's evolution, co-authoring the 1978 Sourcebook and the 1984 second edition, cementing C&S as a lasting pillar of the hobby.

Academic and Philosophical Career

Beyond the gaming table, Backhaus built a substantial career as a business professor and lawyer, while also establishing himself as a serious published philosopher. His academic output, concentrated in the early-to-mid 1990s, reveals a deep engagement with David Hume's work, spanning questions of neutral monism, the nature of analytic propositions, and the politics of reason. Papers appeared in respected venues such as Dialogue, the Journal of Speculative Philosophy, and the South West Philosophy Review. His 1992 article on Hume's theory of non-sensory properties was even translated into Spanish by Professor M. Costa for Cuadernos de Filosofia, indicating international reach. He also ventured into bioethics, examining unspoken values in pluralistic societies, and explored the intersection of faith and philosophical discourse in a 1993 piece for Philosophy & Theology. This body of work demonstrates a mind that treated rigorous argumentation as a discipline in its own right, well beyond the mechanics of dice and character sheets.

A Two-Decade Catalogue of Game Design

Backhaus's imprint on tabletop gaming extended far beyond the original Chivalry & Sorcery. Between 1976 and 2000, he co-authored or authored a remarkable catalogue of titles. Alongside the C&S first edition (1977), Sourcebook (1978), and second edition (1984), he wrote Rapier & Dagger (1979) and co-designed the strategic board game Middle Sea, both under the Fantasy Games Unlimited banner. He then branched into Archaeron Games Ltd, where he authored Archaeron (1980), Mage (1980), and Warrior (1981), each exploring different facets of the fantasy genre. The game's longevity was remarkable: a third edition followed in 1996 through Highlander Designs, a Light edition appeared in 1999 via Britannia Game Designs, and a Red Book was released in 2000 by GameStuff Inc. as a free downloadable PDF. This sustained output over two and a half decades reflects both the enduring appeal of the system and Backhaus's continued commitment to refining and expanding it.

Chivalry in Life and the Final Chapter

Backhaus's connection to the world of medieval reenactment and chivalric tradition was personal as well as professional. He founded the Loyal Order of Chivalry & Sorcery, a group that extended the game's thematic spirit into real-world fellowship, and he held the rank of baron within the Society for Creative Anachronism. His public presence in the gaming community remained active well into later life; he moderated a panel at a conference hosted by the University of Maryland, College Park, and served as a special guest at the Calgary Games Convention, known as CalCon. These appearances underscore that he was regarded as a figure of genuine authority and respect within the hobby. His life was cut short on 14 October 2009, following a two-year battle with cancer. He was sixty-two. The gaming community lost not only a pioneering designer but a scholar, a lawyer, and a man who had woven the ideals of chivalry into both his creative work and his personal life.

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