R.I.P. Gary Gygax - TTLG Forums

Shayde on 5/3/2008 at 07:41

:( RIP

Had some great times playing D&D as a kid and even greater playing D&D inspired PC RPGs as an adult.

Ko0K on 5/3/2008 at 07:44

Quote Posted by Digital Nightfall

I really only knew about him at all because of his cameo in Futurama.

Same here. I haven't personally played D&D, but I do understand it had a huge impact on my generation. Anyway, rest in peace.

Melan on 5/3/2008 at 08:25

Farewell, old man, and rest in peace - you have inspired millions with just a small game of strange dice, 10' corridors and gelatinous cubes.

Quote Posted by catbarf

Well, it was going to happen sooner or later. RIP Gary, and thank you for inspiring thousands of games, movies, and hours of entertainment with your unashamed Lord of the Rings ripoff :thumb:

The perception is ironic, because Gary didn't like Lord of the Rings at all - his favourite fantasy authors were somewhat obscure greats like Jack Vance, Fritz Leiber or Abraham Merritt. By his own admission, the only reason he included dwarves and elves in his games was to draw the attention of Tolkien fans.

It is interesting to think of what Gygaxian A/D&D looks like through his adventure modules and the rulebooks he authored... a very strange place, full of otherworldly encounters and plain weirdness. If anything, it is a bit like this:

Inline Image:

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v198/Melan/basic8th.jpg

:) It's pretty cool to rediscover his legacy - and I recommend everyone interested in RPGs to do so.

He had a very original mind, fantastic imagination and a friendly attitude - he was hosting regular games right until late January, and posted on the (http://www.dragonsfoot.org/forums/) Dragonsfoot forums up to last week. He lived a full life.

R.I.P.

Phydeaux on 5/3/2008 at 14:46

Even though I haven't played in 10+ years, I still enjoy the adventure novels based in D&D worlds spawned from Gary's creations. Heck, he was the first one to write a D&D-world based novel. One of the things I like so much about the novels is that these worlds are open to any writer, so each world gets the benefit of many different, unique stories and characters, unlike Tolkien's Middle Earth or Rowling's Harry Potter microcosm. Few other franchises can even compare (Star Trek and Star Wars come to mind).

Thanks Gary, for giving us nerds something to do other than sports or chasing skirt.

fett on 5/3/2008 at 17:01

Thanks for the ride Gary! D&D fueled my imagination when I was 12 and was part of the inspiration that led me into fantasy literature and movies, writing, and gaming. You invested your life well and will always be remembered.

Honor +25

WingedKagouti on 5/3/2008 at 18:03

Dying on (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/March_4#Holidays_and_observances) GM's Day just shows his perfect timing.

Brian T on 5/3/2008 at 18:56

I was very much into D&D in the early 1980s, it was very popular at the time in both Canada and the UK, the places where I spent that era.

As the 1980s progressed I played less until I lost interest although I'm not sure if that was more of a case of my late teen self deeming it too "nerdy". But I recieved Baldur's Gate (albeit with some misivings initially) as a Christmas present in 2001 and I thoroughly enjoyed it, to my mild surprise, as well as it's sequels, enough to spark off an interest again in other computer fantasy roleplaying games. A few years ago I managed to obtain some of the old rulebooks and modules from ebay for a bit of nostalgia. I suppose I was never able to recapture the enthusiasm I had for it in 1981, but I admit I felt a twinge of sadness when I heard of his passing. His influence on fantasy gaming (including computer gaming) was gigantic. Even Thief uses hit points!

Scots Taffer on 6/3/2008 at 02:48

given that the king of the nerds has died, who's next to ascend the throne?

p.s. never played d&d, jesus, you're all too fat, sweaty and pale for your own good

Mr.Duck on 6/3/2008 at 02:52

R.I.P. to the guy who rolled natural 20s.

And the successor...Bill Gates?

Dunno...¬¬

<3

eepcat on 6/3/2008 at 03:21

I know I'm not the only one here who played Dungeons and Dragons back in the day. The grandfather of D&D, Gary Gygax, died yesterday.:(

Without D&D, I would not have thought to play Thief. Without Thief I would taff not.

- eep!