Gary Gygax dies

[gunnyrob]

Nooooooooooo
RIP Gary, D&D addicts everywhere mourn your loss.

Dungeons & Dragons creator Gary Gygax dies

Agence France-Presse

CHICAGO - Gary Gygax, co-creator of the iconic Dungeons & Dragons fantasy game and considered the father of modern role-playing gaming, died in his home Tuesday, his wife said.

Gygax had been suffering from a number of health problems including an incurable heart aneurism, Gail Gygax said. He was 69.

First published in 1974, the Dungeons & Dragons game, in which players create magical and heroic characters and guide them through a series of adventures, soon became a cultural phenomenon.

There was no game board in this interactive, imaginative adventure: just paper, pen, the dungeon master's rule book and a set of multisided dice.

D&D spawned a booming industry and has inspired a generation of writers, video game designers and filmmakers.

Gygax's cult hero status among self-proclaimed geeks is so intense that one fan even named a strain of bacteria after him.

But he faced intense criticism in the 1980s when the game became a target for cultural conservatives who blamed it for causing teen suicides, murder and devil worship.

"That really pushed the sales up," Gygax joked in an interview with GameSpy.

"What bothered me is that I was getting death threats, telephone calls, and letters. I was a little nervous. I had a bodyguard for a while.

"I'm glad that most people have been able to separate the fantasy of the game from the reality of real life -- games have nothing to do with real life. There are no real dragons, there's no real magic, no real magic swords, and certainly no real treasure... or I would have retired at home by now."

The popularity of Dungeons and Dragons faded in the 1990s as the video games boom began, but Gygax's influence in the gaming world continued through his columns and the more than 80 games, game products, and books he created.

A voracious reader with an unfettered imagination, Gygax worked intensely until his health deteriorated in 2004.

"He would be in a daze," Gail Gygax said. "Especially when he was creating a new world. One time he was painting a globe for two weeks."

She said that while he used computers to help speed up the designs for his games and the writing of his books, he never really got interested in video games.

"He liked the group environment where you were with people," she said.

"He played all kinds of games ... we would have a game of cribbage on our front porch every night in the summer."

[James Deuce]

Cheers Rob, what a huge shame. That bloke made life bearable for Geeks and Nerds from the '70s to the '90s.

We made friends, goddammit!

[El Dopa]

Failed his 'save vs death' roll.....

[Hitcher]

D&D. A previous obsession, in the period somewhere between religion and motorcycles. I hate to think how many days were spent on this. Moving to Wellington weaned me off it. What use is a level 21 magic user in a town like this anyway?

[James Deuce]

Or a level 8 Fighter called "Tora Shinto" with 18/00 Strength and Intelligence of 6.

[Kendog]

D&D. A previous obsession, in the period somewhere between religion and motorcycles. I hate to think how many days were spent on this. Moving to Wellington weaned me off it. What use is a level 21 magic user in a town like this anyway?

I came to Wellington with Killard and Dalamar years ago, neither have seen the light of day since

[Hitcher]

Or a level 8 Fighter called "Tora Shinto" with 18/00 Strength and Intelligence of 6.

Easily impressed by floating discs and alchemy. Fortunately. Magic users need friends like Tora Shinto. Particularly when they're learning their craft.

[Mikkel]

RIP Gary - this man certainly instigated a revolution that ultimately resulted in a public more accepting of rampant imagination!

Although the heyday of pen'n'paper roleplaying games seems to have come and gone I am very glad I got on one of the last trains in the mid 90s.

I just hope Gary failed his saving throw against disease before his CON hit 0 - undeath is nasty business, and very hard on the family as well I believe.

Or a level 8 Fighter called "Tora Shinto" with 18/00 Strength and Intelligence of 6.

Intelligence and Charisma was absolutely irrelevant in AD&D for a fighter. It's a perfect trade off! Nothing beats the +3 To Hit and +6 to Damage bonuses. Pft, unless you had a flexible DM who'd accept you spending language slots on non-weapon proficiencies, int was a waste for anyone but mages!

[Drunken Monkey]

He finally found out what it is like to run out of hit points in real life.

[Mikkel]

He finally found out what it is like to run out of hit points in real life.

Well... there are other ways than that to pass from the prime material plane.

[James Deuce]

http://wilwheaton.typepad.com/wwdnba...s-the-sea.html

Yes, that's Wil Wheaton, Gordie from Stand By Me, and Ensign Crusher from ST:TNG. His Blog roxxors!

[Jiminy]

That's sad news. So many hours of fun I owe him, and probably a couple of my best friends.

Although modern board games have taken over back home, role playing game is still alive. But like many, I've dropped my annual contribution to the cause when moving here, with the language barrier being a factor.

Or a level 8 Fighter called "Tora Shinto" with 18/00 Strength and Intelligence of 6.

Were you actually playing your character as per its characteristics?

[James Deuce]

Amazingly yes. Very good at breaking down doors. With his head. Alas, he was slain by a Catoblepas. Out the back of a pub.

[gijoe1313]

Ahh geez, no cleric to cast resurrection?

I lament his passing, long were the hours passed in the rolling of dice, bad were the gaming puns, volumes of musty modules perused, wandering monsters generated and despatched ...

Behold! (no, not Beholders) Let his spirit and silver cord remain unbroken, psionics aside and those damnable volge-bohemian-ear-spoon polearms!

THAC0 rolls, failing a save when the Red Dragon flooms you with a 20HD fireball, wondering how to transport 160,000cps, 21000 eps, 15000 sps, 18000 gps, 2000 pps and assorted gems and rubies and enchanted claptrap (philtre of love? Belt of gender change?)

Oriental Adventures, Unearthed Arcana, Monster Manuals, Deities & Demi Gods, World Of Greyhawk, Return to Ravenloft, Dragonlance, SnarfQuest, Rolling on the random damage tables (traps), Green slime and Gelantinous Cubes, Rust monsters, Level draining beasties (Spectres, Wraiths) Ghosts which all elves used to run at (for the age bonuses! lol)

Those crappy unarmed wrestling tables, iron rations? What be they? Everyone needs rope and a 10' pole, iron spikes and a mallet!

Was that 120' passage 10' wide narrowing to 5' with a door 60' in the east wall? I check for traps/secret doors/slope of passage/pick lock etc...

Getting in backstabs or being surprised! Combat rounds of 1 minute divided into segments, turns of 10 minutes ... wait ... where do all these random monsters come from?

Good times ... good company ... and nerdish as hell! Dammit, I was always the DM for these things! Only got to play PCs for a handful of campaigns

[gijoe1313]

Or a level 8 Fighter called "Tora Shinto" with 18/00 Strength and Intelligence of 6.

And don't forget that other useless attribute of Comeliness! Great when your female cleric had CHA18 and a COM22 W00ters! ("ooh look, city guards to get by .... send in our cleric!" sez the PCS, unfortunately bastard DM sez "too bad they are homosexuals..." "......... send in our babarian with the loincloth!" ".....doh!....")