Dungeons & Dragons co-creator Gary Gygax dies at 69

[Aleax]

First read about this on fark.com. Man, I remember picking up a friends Dungeons and Dragons book and just reading it over and over for the monsters. I still don't know how to pronounce his last name properly.

http://www.wbay.com/global/story.asp?s=7963395

MILWAUKEE (AP) - The man who co-created the game Dungeons & Dragons and helped start the role-playing phenomenon is dead.

Gary Gygax (GEYE'-gaks) died this morning at his home in Lake Geneva, Wisconsin, about 55 miles southwest of Milwaukee.

His wife, Gail Gygax, says he had been suffering from health problems for several years, including an abdominal aneurysm.

Gygax and co-creator Dave Arneson developed the role-playing game in 1974 and it went on to become 1 of the best-selling games ever. Dungeons & Dragons is considered the grandfather of fantasy role-playing games and has influenced video games, books, movies and inspired legions of adoring fans.

Gygax' wife says he always enjoyed hearing from the game's devoted fans about how the game influenced their lives.

 

[iaeolan]

Thought he died last year. Guess not.

D&D is great w/ the right people. I've actually been meaning to get back to my hometown so I can game it up again with some old friends

 

[JayelleNephilim]

/mourn

 

[Eredhel]

Thought he died last year. Guess not.

You might have been thinking about Keith Parkinson, although seems like he died a couple years ago or so.

 

[phroggonalog]

I've gotten into d&d only this past year, it's great fun with the right people

 

[Kirin Folken]

/mourn


Been playing DnD over 20 years, its definitely loads of fun. LIke said however if you have the wrong people it can go down hill very quickly.

 

[Deylan]

Bummer. Tonight I will raise a glass to the man that got me into RPGs. Haven't played D&D (AD&D 2nd Ed. was my drug of choice) in several years, but I still have my bag o'dice.

 

[Xach]

I take off my robe and wizard hat to this man.

 

[BuilderX]

/sad...

10 years back (or even more...) he was interviewed in a game's forum in france on paris, and he signed my edition of dungeons & dragons.

There was also a guy with the very first edition of dungeons & dragons (the book was old and dying lol) who got it signed... and then he was like he had a "gold bar in his hands" :toot:

 

[Andaara]

Just saw this today- don't know where I was yesterday. I played D&D religiously when I was young and have stayed with it for over 25 years. Got a full set of the original D&D stuff from an older cousin. I still have everything, even the little pewter figurines I used to customize and paint. The only thing I still use is my bloated dice bag, mainly for Magic: the Gathering. Such wonderful memories- I was mainly a Dragonlance fan, but enjoyed Forgotten Realms when we played it. I still remember the day we all ran out to our local comic book store and picked up the new 2nd Ed AD&D and were amazed at the changes. Now I mostly enjoy looking through the old books and reading the novels. Sad news. I was looking around on the net this morning after seeing the news and found this awful headline. It mildly amused me in its horrendously punnish way...

"Gary Gygax, creator of Dungeons & Dragons, has failed his saving throw vs. death"

Thanks Gary for bringing enjoyment to erasers, graph paper and funky dice!

 

[Reem]

He should have had a cleric in his party.

Really is too bad he failed his saving throw.

RIP Gary.