Michael Breault American game designer and editor Date of Birth: 28.05.1958 Country: USA

1. Early Life and Education
2. Introduction to Fantasy Games
3. Career as a Game Designer and Editor
4. Freelance Work and Later Career
5. Contributions to Dungeons & Dragons
6. Legacy

Early Life and Education

Michael Bruhl was born on May 28, 1958, in Central Falls, Rhode Island. He grew up in Boston and Cape Cod before moving with his family to Warwick, where he attended elementary school. At the age of eight, Bruhl developed an interest in science fiction and fantasy after reading "The Hobbit". In high school, he became fascinated with astronomy and went on to earn a degree in physics and astronomy from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI) in 1980.

Introduction to Fantasy Games

During his first year at RPI, Bruhl became a member of a gaming club where he played "Dungeons & Dragons" (D&D) and other games. However, the club faced difficulties during his second year when many members were expelled from the institute due to their excessive gaming habits. Despite this setback, Bruhl remained passionate about fantasy games.

Career as a Game Designer and Editor

After completing his degree, Bruhl pursued a Ph.D. in astronomy at Indiana University from 1980 to 1984. It was during this time that he met Mary Elsbury, whom he married in 1984. While working as a graduate student, Bruhl also served as an editorial intern at the "American Spectator" magazine.

In 1984, Bruhl responded to an advertisement in the "Chicago Tribune" for a position in the editing department at TSR, the company behind D&D. He was hired in September of that year. During his time at TSR, Bruhl edited the first edition of "Advanced Dungeons & Dragons" and worked on various game modules and rulebooks. He co-designed "The Book of Lairs" with Jim Ward and contributed to the development of the "Dragonlance" series.

Freelance Work and Later Career

In 1989, Bruhl left TSR and began working as a freelancer. He wrote scripts for video games like "Sword of Vermilion" and developed storylines for other platforms. However, his freelance career ended in 1998. During these years, Bruhl resided in Warsaw, Indiana, with his family and their hypoallergenic dog, Reg.

In 1998, Bruhl joined Volition, where he worked as a scriptwriter and designer for various video games, including "Freespace 2" and the "Red Faction" series. In 2008, he joined Raven Software and contributed to the development of the game "Wolfenstein". In 2011, Bruhl began working on a new video game project for Ubisoft Montreal.

Contributions to Dungeons & Dragons

Throughout his career, Bruhl played a significant role in the development of "Dungeons & Dragons". He designed the module "Ruins of Adventure" and edited and contributed ideas to over 100 books and modules for the game, including those set in the "Dragonlance", "Forgotten Realms", and "Greyhawk" universes, as well as the "Ravenloft" and "Dark Sun" settings.

Legacy

Over the course of his career in the gaming industry, Bruhl participated in the development of 25 gaming projects as a scriptwriter and/or designer. His contributions to the world of fantasy gaming and his dedication to the "Dungeons & Dragons" franchise have left a lasting impact on the gaming community.