Sad News This Day Fellow Adventures.....

[Kurgan]

The beloved father of D&D has passed away.

Gary Gygax

Gary Gygax, 'Father of D&D,' Dies at 69
By Lore Sjoberg March 04, 2008 | 1:43:14 PMCategories: Current Affairs


Gary Gygax, one of the co-creators of the Dungeons & Dragons role-playing game, died Tuesday morning at his home in Lake Geneva, Wisconsin, according to Stephen Chenault, CEO of Troll Lord Games.

Gygax designed the original D&D game with Dave Arneson in 1974, and went on to create the Dangerous Journeys and Lejendary Adventure RPGs, as well as a number of board games. He also wrote several fantasy novels.

"I don't think I've really grokked it yet," said Mike Mearls, the lead developer of the upcoming 4th edition of Dungeons and Dragons. "He was like the cool uncle that every gamer had. He shaped an entire generation of gamers."

Gygax was not directly involved with Dungeons & Dragons after 1985, but he continued to create adventures to be used with it, which were published by Troll Lord Games.

Gygax had been in poor health for some time, according to his wife Gail. Chenault says he will publish more information, including funeral arrangements, on the Troll Lord message board as it becomes available.

Photo: Alan De Smet

 

[Guest]

Just heard this in the car on the way home...tis sad indeed.

 

[Guest]

One of the most influential gamers ever. His legacy will live for ever. *rolls lucky 20 in honor*

 

[Guest]

Hubby just told me

'Tis indeed sad.

 

[Arcus]

Wow. A sad day indeed.


RIP - Although I never knew you - I think I did.

 

[Guest]

May he roll 20s for eternity wherever his soul rests.

 

[Guest]

Sad day indeed...... *gives a moment of silence*.....

 

[Guest]

Greatest game ever.

 

[Guest]

What he, and others he played/worked with created is what I consider one of the true innovations of the 20th century: a cooperative game where everyone wins. A role playing game is not as flashy or commercial as a microchips or an airplane, but it is a concept that, in my humble opinion, deserves a place in that same league of invention, for it is a rare idea that so reshapes an entire generation. He took the dreams of Tolkien, of Fritz Leiber, of the many varied authors of fantasy and made them come alive, where a story retains that childhood quality of being something alive that changes with your imagination. And like how the television has spawns an entire entertainment industry, so has D&D, for let's face it, UO would not be here were at all were it not for that pioneering game.

*leaves 3d6 for him to roll up a character for the next campaign*

 

[imported_GalenKnighthawke]

While this is not UO related, can you mods please violate the rules just this once, and let this thread stay here for a few days?

This is a big deal. Any computer-based RPG, be it online or single-player, would not exist unless he invented the tabletop ones first.

Every time one of the devs screws up and calls "Magic Arrow" "Magic Missile" instead, it is a tribute to D&D and Gary Gygax.

*salutes Gary*

-Galen's player

 

[Kurgan]

Weather it is pen & paper, card games, or computer role playing games. They all owe this great man a sign of respect.

For UO. I think they should add a memorial to this great man.
A statue on every shard dedicated to Gary Gygax. The father of role playing universe.

 

[imported_archite666]

I hate to say this....but I heard about this about 2 hours ago while actually talking about my on going campaign and the initial thing that came to mind was...

Someone failed their Fort save.

Sorry I had to....He will certainly be missed.

 

[imported_archite666]

By the way to the guy above me, are you the alan de smet, as in Live Role Playing Chess? If so I totally met you and chilled with you during Origins 05'

 

[Basara]

I've only heard things second-hand about him, but would have liked the chance to have sit down and shot the bull with him.

A few years ago at Gen Con, I was shopping at the Flying Bufalo booth, when a friend of Rick Loomis brought someone up to talk to him - Ernie Gygax, whom Rick hadn't seen in decades. I just stood there and listened them talk about the EARLY days of gaming, like the early Gen Cons where Ernie was running errands (things like food and drink) to the Game Masters and exhibitors for Gary.

And, before you think those cons were boring, remember that one of the VERY early Gen Cons was at the Lake Geneva PLAYBOY CLUB, and several Dungeon Masters and players got drunk off their ass from bunnies going around, serving drinks at the gaming tables (and of course they kept ordering to keep the bunnies around)... UO Town halls aren't quite THAT fun...

 

[Dean478]

<blockquote><hr>

so has D&amp;D, for let's face it, UO would not be here were at all were it not for that pioneering game.


[/ QUOTE ]


No doubt about it, Richard Garriott still considers Akalabeth as "D&amp;D20".

All the best for his family.

 

[five oclock]

If it wasn't for this man...Would any of us be playing right now? He started something for people to kick back and have fun. He was one of the orignal gamer who started it all.


May thy great dragons take him to his final resting place. Where the grass is always green and the D20 always rolls a 20 when you need it the most.

Bows head.

 

[Wood]

*raises flagon*

Rest in peace old friend. Your creativity and hard work will never be forgotten.

*drinks*

Take care.

 

[Guest]

Yep, I'm a D&amp;D Geek and I owe Gygax plenty for the tools he provided which inspired my imagination. I probably owe him for my grades too because there was a lot of math and reading in D&amp;D which seemed to boost my grades. So a tip of the tankard to Gygax!

 

[Llewen]

This is sad news. I owe that man many fond memories and many hours of lost sleep. And no, none of this would have existed if it weren't for him, not Ultima Online, not Everquest, not World of Warcraft, none of them.

 

[Oriana]

Very sad news indeed.

My husband and I had the great pleasure to meet him in 1992 at DragonCon in Atlanta. He was very jovial and light hearted. Very passionate about roleplaying but never judgemental, from what we saw, for people that sucked at it *raises hand*. He was and will remain a very influential part of many peoples lives.

 

[eolsunder1]

Not in a funny way, but wouldn't be the best tribute to have on his tombstone

Here lies Gary Gygax, he finally failed his fortitude saving throw.


Just have to say here is a guy who helped people use their minds for play instead of a board. The greatest creation is in the imagination. He got me started with D&amp;D when it first came out and I was hooked on RPG's and fantasy ever since.

 

[imported_Thed]

Fair Winds, and Following Seas, long may your Big Jib draw!

 

[Guest]

I still have my D&amp;D game for Intelivision. The D&amp;D screensaver for my PC. Everything today is just a clone of sorts of D&amp;D.

RIP.

 

[imported_Hazard]

He was definitely a hero of mine growing up, as well as the team of stellar artists you'd see on all the modules/books he was a part of early on: Erol Otus, Sutherland, etc

Its sad to see him go...

 

[imported_Prince Erik]

I saw this earlier today - sad indeed. I was just looking through my old AD&amp;D Dungeon Master's guide about a week ago too and reliving old memories.

*looks at all the dice with rounded off corners from having them rolled so much and sighs*

Rest in peace, Gary - and may your afterlife allow you to finally see for your own eyes the worlds you dreamed up for the rest of us to play in.

-P.E.

 

[imported_GalenKnighthawke]

The next UO scenario should have an NPC named Gygax.....

-Galen's player

 

[imported_archite666]

<blockquote><hr>

I hate to say this....but I heard about this about 2 hours ago while actually talking about my on going campaign and the initial thing that came to mind was...

Someone failed their Fort save.

Sorry I had to....He will certainly be missed.

[/ QUOTE ]

Hey that fortitude joke was mine!

 

[Guest]

<blockquote><hr>

The next UO scenario should have an NPC named Gygax.....

[/ QUOTE ]Ditto! Gygax was the father of modern role playing games.

I spent many years playing AD&amp;D and other table top games with a large group of friends... we all remember those times, and will remember Gygax fondly.

 

[Guest]

I like the idea of a NPC named Gygax in rememberence.

I have many memories of playing D&amp;D with friends. I still have a dice bag made of 'starry' material with a velvet lining...sewed it myself, hehe.

 

[Guest]

I just want to burst into tears! I played AD&amp;D for so many years and always dreamt that there might be computer games that might be similar as we have now.

There is nothing like roling those dice though for making that saving throw.

Godspeed Gary - such an influence and inspiration.

 

[Guest]

I started playing D&amp;D when I was 11 and have been with it in some form or another since then. I live near the Illinois-Wisconsin border, and used to make the half hour drive to Lake Geneva three or four times a week during my senior year in high school and a couple years thereafter. I had the best time going to the shop that the Gygax's owned and ran. On weekends, Gary, Ernie, and some of the other early figures of role-playing, as well as the likes of Tracy Hickman, of Dragonlance fame, would sit around a big table in the middle of the store and have a gaming session, with everybody free to watch and give advice as they pleased. As I became a regular, once I was invited to sit in with them and roll up a character! I can't begin to tell you how cool it was actually role-play with the legends.

Rest well Gary

You've earned it.

 

[Ghosty]

Not only did I start playing when the books first came out (1974 I think?), but I continued playing and running D&amp;D for over ten years. Although I always thought Gygax's rules were a bit heavy-handed (early D&amp;D did not flow as well as RPG systems that came out later), it was the start of something grand.

I think the biggest change from wargaming, where Gygax got his inspiration, was that the individual could be as influential as a group of troops in combat. There was no way to represent a single man in miniature wargaming, which led to "Chainmail", and finally to D&amp;D.

Gary, I hope you now reside in a place where heroism and valor are not concepts of imagination, but the reality of existance. Thank you for this wonderful game, and your contributions to the genre.

 

[BajaElladan]

Hail All with Creativity &amp; Imagination,

Tis indeed a day of great passing, as our Mentor and Brother, Gary Gygax has pierced the veil and discovered that which is beyond.

Some will mourn his passing, others will celebrate his life and enduring legacy &amp; contributions. Many will do both.

It is my hope &amp; request that each of us will challenge &amp; exercise our own creativity &amp; imaginations, even as Gary did. Be it in Dungeons &amp; Dragons, or Gary's own contributions of total originalizations, or whatever platforms each chooses, or even in creating tomorrow's new &amp; lasting games or gaming systems.

Honor all that Gary was during his life by enjoying his legacy and by contributing to and building upon that legacy for all of our tomorrow's.

*Rolls Die 20* ...grrr another darned ONE!