Gary Gygax, RIP

[pyat]

D&D designer Gary Gygax died this morning, at the age of 69.



This makes me sad in a strange sort of way that is hard to quantify. I imagine many 1st edition books will be dusted off tonight, and memories shared.

Comments

[amarafox.livejournal.com]

That makes me really sad :(

[pyat.livejournal.com]

By coincidence, that pic was taken at the same con where I last met you in person!

[ladyceleste.livejournal.com]

Looks like he was pretty sick for a while. However, I haven't found any official news sources on this.

It makes me sad too.

[axiomaxiom.livejournal.com]

I mourn.

[thebitterguy]

I feel like I want to go home.

[mwbard.livejournal.com]

I don't know... Part of me is sad, but then part of me is still annoyed at his essay in the mid eighties that basically said unless you use NOTHING but the exact written rule, NOTHING but TSR published modules and world books, and created NOTHING yourself, you weren't actually playing D&D...

Still, it finishes an era. DAMN COMPUTERS!

[(Anonymous)]

My annoyance wasn't his declaration that it wasn't REAL D&D but rather his attempt in the late 1970s to keep sole authorship, when Dave Arneson had written at least half the material. Removing someone's name from the records in a Stalinistic sort of purge, not endearing him much to anyone, and rather effectively ending his monopoly with the backlash.

His totally redeeming moment was his appearance on Futurama.

"I am..." rattle rattle check die roll "Pleased! to meet you!"

[foomf.livejournal.com]

That anonymous fool is me, forgetting to log in.

[dagoski.livejournal.com]

Makes me feel my own mortality. D&D has been part of my cultural landscape since I knew I was walking on one. This is a sad day indeed.

[madmanofprague.livejournal.com]

Time to pour a 40 on the curb...

[paka.livejournal.com]

Yeah.

I mean, he sounded irrascible, egotistic and opinionated. But then, he took what was a batch of dweebs fooling with big wargames armies, made something completely different out of it for fun, and then pushed it from a small collection of little badly-illustrated pampflets to being the flagship product of a fairly substantial hobby industry. Someone who has enough willpower to do all that is not going to have the meekest personality in the world.

And, I've said this elsewhere today, without him behind 1e, my high school existence would have had a lot less joy. Even if I'd never touched D&D after I hit 18, I'd be grateful just for that.

[mwbard.livejournal.com]

Yea, I can understand. I never met him, and the crap about "what is D&D" just annoyed me so much...

I started RPing in 1978 or '77 -- I can't remember which side of Grade 9 it was on. Lots of fun. He certainly did create something.

And yes, may he rest in peace and honour.

[undeadmuse.livejournal.com]

Thanks for posting this. I had no idea. The Wizards/D&D site has a black-shrouded splash page in memorium.

[cynth9000.livejournal.com]

just wow! that is sad

[renface.livejournal.com]

Thanks for the memories, Gary.