John T. Sapienza • Collecting General

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John T. Sapienza
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vault keeper
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Posted: Sat Feb 12, 2011 1:53 pm

I would like to know more about the man.

How can i do? Is he still alive? He wrote amazing articles, IMHO.

thanks

HermitFromPluto
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Posted: Sun Feb 13, 2011 10:11 am

I don't know anything about him, but on the wiki we already have 32 references for him:

http://wiki.acaeum.com/wiki/Category:John_Sapienza

Labrat
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Posted: Wed Feb 16, 2011 3:31 pm

I saw his name on the list of people attending Worldcon in Denver a few years ago. He was also a regular contributor to Alarums and Excursions in the 70s.

S. Jacobson
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JasonZavoda
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Posted: Wed Feb 16, 2011 3:56 pm

He is mentioned in Gygax's thank you's in the 1e DM's Guide.

"You get more with a kind word and an excruciator than with just a kind word."

Alexander
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Posted: Thu Feb 17, 2011 1:13 pm

He was a very regular contributor in Different Worlds and then The Space Gamer

mbassoc2003
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Posted: Fri Feb 18, 2011 9:13 am

Regular contributor to various APAs incl. Alarums & Excursions. Writer of the Sapienza Spell System and colaborated with Steve Marsh on something or other IIRC. Possibly early exploration of Heroquest game mechanics. Don't know. Steve might be able to shed light if he crossed paths with Sapienza (he certainly cut out and kept some of his articles far later use, as they were in the last SRM auction). Don't know if Sapienza is still around. I searched in 2005/6 and got no solid leads.

This week I've been mostly eating . . . The white ones with the little red flecks in them.

Labrat
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Posted: Fri Feb 18, 2011 3:46 pm

He is listed as a member going to Worldcon in Reno this year. At lease someone of that name is.

S. Jacobson
You're never alone with a rubber duck

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Posted: Fri Feb 25, 2011 7:50 am

Sapienza Spell System?

Was it in some issues of A&E? I'm very very interested..

mbassoc2003
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Posted: Fri Feb 25, 2011 8:49 am

It was called the "Sepienza-Marsh Spell System". No idea which issue, but I believe it started as an outline article and was followed in subsequent issues with the odd comment or discussion point as was common in this type of 'zine. With Steve and/or John's permission, I'll post a link to the initial article, but I don't want to breach their copyright.

This week I've been mostly eating . . . The white ones with the little red flecks in them.

Labrat
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Posted: Fri Feb 25, 2011 2:25 pm

He started "Alberich's Ring #1" in A&E #18 in 1976. He has articles in A&E's 19, 20, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 30, 31, 32, 33 and 39. Anywhere from 4 to 16 pages each. A&E 39 has "Alberich's Ring #17" so there are some that I am missing and I don't have any A&E's past 39.

S. Jacobson
You're never alone with a rubber duck

mbassoc2003
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Posted: Fri Feb 25, 2011 4:44 pm

If Lee Gold (I presume) published A&E as a digital archive back to issue 1, I'd be willing to drop $50+ for a copy.

This week I've been mostly eating . . . The white ones with the little red flecks in them.

Ethesis
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Posted: Fri Feb 25, 2011 7:24 pm

mbassoc2003 wrote:If Lee Gold (I presume) published A&E as a digital archive back to issue 1, I'd be willing to drop $50+ for a copy.

So would I. BTW, my log in isn't working suddenly on Dragonsfoot, but you are welcome to post that one page and if you will copy me on the url where you post it, I'll comment.

Regards,

Stephen

Ethesis
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Posted: Fri Feb 25, 2011 7:25 pm

Vault keeper wrote:I would like to know more about the man.

How can i do? Is he still alive? He wrote amazing articles, IMHO.

thanks

He is alive, lives in the Washingtonton, D.C. area with his wife Peggy. They are well known in the SF fan community.

John was a brilliant lawyer and a deep thinking analyst. Still is.

Regards,

Stephen

Ethesis
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Posted: Fri Feb 25, 2011 7:27 pm

mbassoc2003 wrote:Regular contributor to various APAs incl. Alarums & Excursions. Writer of the Sapienza Spell System and colaborated with Steve Marsh on something or other IIRC. Possibly early exploration of Heroquest game mechanics. Don't know. Steve might be able to shed light if he crossed paths with Sapienza (he certainly cut out and kept some of his articles far later use, as they were in the last SRM auction). Don't know if Sapienza is still around. I searched in 2005/6 and got no solid leads.

We corresponded for years and years. Before I went to law school even. He was at my wedding reception.

John is one of the best people you might ever know.

He has a brilliant ability to analyze and think.

Regards,

Stephen

Ethesis
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Posted: Fri Feb 25, 2011 7:29 pm

Vault keeper wrote:Sapienza Spell System?

Was it in some issues of A&E? I'm very very interested..

John had many, many systems. He would analyze things and then reorganize them, from experience point progressions, to spell systems to many other things.

The particular system referred to (and it probably would have helped if I had read this from the start rather than looking for a specific poster to respond to something from another board, placing a response, and then realizing this thread was relevant to it all

) was just one I did as a riff off of something he inspired. All the improved deep structures and organizations in a number of games owe things to John, including AD&D and Runequest.

Regards,

Stephen

Ethesis
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Posted: Fri Feb 25, 2011 7:34 pm

Labrat wrote:He is listed as a member going to Worldcon in Reno this year. At lease someone of that name is.

That is probably John. No one else would dare use the name

John T. Sapienza, Jr. is much too well known among the fen.

Regards,

Stephen

mbassoc2003
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Posted: Sat Feb 26, 2011 8:51 am

http://www.afterglow2.com/Sapienza.pdf

One of the many hings I have archived, but he only thing from Sapienza alas. It seems to have been a single page submission and I have none of the stuff that followed.

This week I've been mostly eating . . . The white ones with the little red flecks in them.

Ethesis
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Posts: 276
Joined: Feb 26, 2005
Last Visit: Feb 28, 2011

Posted: Sat Feb 26, 2011 11:30 am

mbassoc2003 wrote:http://www.afterglow2.com/Sapienza.pdf

One of the many hings I have archived, but he only thing from Sapienza alas. It seems to have been a single page submission and I have none of the stuff that followed.

You have everything that was written on that topic that I know of. Just that one page.

Regards,

Stephen

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