For those who have never heard of him, he was the co-creator of the original Dungeons and Dragons Role-playing game.
This makes me incredibly sad – without D&D I wouldn't be the person who I am today. Gaming has taught me a lot, and not just those jokey '1001 things I learned from playing D&D' type lists.
I don't think I'd be blogging if it were for the effect that RPGs have had on my life.
Rest In Peace.
I often found it embarrasing to admit to being a D&D fan, and some of the D&D players I knew were real wierdos, but it was fun, damn it. What would I have done without his reference books of monsters to populate my architectural dungeons with?
Like yourself D&D and the games that followed made a huge difference to how my life turned out. I've still got the “Friday night role-playing crew” as good friends after lord knows how many years. Actually, thinking about it, it's about twenty years. Wow.Gary Gygax, thank you.
I'm sorry to hear that Tom. Death seems to be hanging around today, I just found out that a friend of mine's Dad died tonight.I just hope they all rest in peace.
rest in peace sir….
Never a fan of D&D in playing the game itself, but loved the idea enough to set up a writing group, which is still going 10 years later where we each have a part to play in telling a story and one of the best things we did was to introduce events for someone else's character.. fantasy is such fun.What would we have done without his imagination?
I was sad to see the news – I think this is the best tribute I have seen so far:http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0536.html#
Hi Tom,I have just finished reading your book Blood Sweat & Tea and found it really interesting. Keep up the good work – you sound like a sensible man!
You just described roleplaying. One of us, one of us
I know 🙂 that's why I gave the nod to D&D as a tribute… just that we played by distance rather than f2f with dice and chance.
Actually I thought XKCD said it best:http://xkcd.com/393/
I'd forgotten you were a gamer, although it's one of the reasons I ended up bookmarking your blog for a regular read.I go to a D&D game next weekend, version 3.0. No doubt we'll say something.
I LOVE D&D. It's so sad that Gary died. There has been many a time I have come home from a horrible shift in A+E and relaxed by entering an abandoned mine and slaughtering beholders or running from black dragons in infected swamps!R.I.P Gary
I thought the penny arcade tribute “Bordering on the semi tasteful”was quite touching.http://www.penny-arcade.com/comic/2008/03/03/