RIP Gary Gygax
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RIP Gary Gygax
It pains me to announce this here.... Gary Gygax the father of D&D died today. Like mentioned in an old thread: If Gary Gygax didn't create D&D then DM would never existed. I'm still shaken to the core about this. "the pain is still to near"
my gygax history
I grew up playing D&D basic an off shot from the orginal D&D, while Gary favored the ad&d specificly he has done some work with "d&d basic". This was shortly before I heard of Dungeon Master.
I've played maybe 3 ad&d games(AFIK 2nd edition) in my life. I kinda lost track what he was up to sometime before 3rd edition\D20 was created. Still even if I only played D20, he means alot to me. I wish I could have met him once...
Thanks to him I was able to create my new identity (Paru), Almost Every game I ever play is paying homage to him by using a similiar name from my D&D games. In wow i have 3 characters based from my D&D basic games(slight name change):
Kloudfiend, cloudfriend & agarwaenisil first 2 are mage & warlock, based from Gavin Cloudeyes. the last one is a kinda amalgram meanign "blood stained silver", I tihnk used some tolkien for it too. Based from my Elven Ranger Akira Silvermist(get it... Blood elf + silver...)
In the MORPG game EUO(http://swut.net/EUO/) I have like 3 characters.
ArchmageGavin, cloudeyes, & Stoutheart. the Last is taken from Bandor Stoutheart a human fighter.
I even recently joined a free Everquest server where it continues... 4 different Gavin's at Shards of Dayala.
Gavinz = my "wizard part of Cloudeyes", Gavinn = Necro part.
Gavenc = enchanter
Gavian = magician. plus tons more games.. sigh goodbye Gygax
I've played maybe 3 ad&d games(AFIK 2nd edition) in my life. I kinda lost track what he was up to sometime before 3rd edition\D20 was created. Still even if I only played D20, he means alot to me. I wish I could have met him once...
Thanks to him I was able to create my new identity (Paru), Almost Every game I ever play is paying homage to him by using a similiar name from my D&D games. In wow i have 3 characters based from my D&D basic games(slight name change):
Kloudfiend, cloudfriend & agarwaenisil first 2 are mage & warlock, based from Gavin Cloudeyes. the last one is a kinda amalgram meanign "blood stained silver", I tihnk used some tolkien for it too. Based from my Elven Ranger Akira Silvermist(get it... Blood elf + silver...)
In the MORPG game EUO(http://swut.net/EUO/) I have like 3 characters.
ArchmageGavin, cloudeyes, & Stoutheart. the Last is taken from Bandor Stoutheart a human fighter.
I even recently joined a free Everquest server where it continues... 4 different Gavin's at Shards of Dayala.
Gavinz = my "wizard part of Cloudeyes", Gavinn = Necro part.
Gavenc = enchanter
Gavian = magician. plus tons more games.. sigh goodbye Gygax
The wikipedia entry has already been updated with this sad news. This dude must have created so many happy memories using pure imagination alone. Respect. Condolences.
G.Gygax:
G.Gygax:
I would like the world to remember me as the guy who really enjoyed playing games and sharing his knowledge and his fun pastimes with everybody else.
It was Dungeon Master that made me interested in Gary Gygax work in the first place, so it seems befitting, that it is the DM-Forum that makes me aware of his unfortunate death.
It's sad to hear he has died, and it's sad that wrong medication sped up the process of his terminal illness.
Nowadays role-players who haven't been in old D&D/AD&D 1st and 2nd Edition sometimes say that they find Gygax style of dungeoneering-oriented rpg still advocated by him even in the recent years antiquated, and that they prefer a more story- and character-oriented approach to rpg, like Ars Magica or the Storyteller rpgs. Yet, while Gygax may not have kept pace with those developements, without him, those developements wouldn't have been possible in the first place. Without Gygax, there probably wouldn't have been the leap from the finite space of gaming tables to the infinite space of imagination.
Without him, there wouldn't be many of the memories that are still important to me.
Far well on your last great journey, Gary Gygax!
It's sad to hear he has died, and it's sad that wrong medication sped up the process of his terminal illness.
Nowadays role-players who haven't been in old D&D/AD&D 1st and 2nd Edition sometimes say that they find Gygax style of dungeoneering-oriented rpg still advocated by him even in the recent years antiquated, and that they prefer a more story- and character-oriented approach to rpg, like Ars Magica or the Storyteller rpgs. Yet, while Gygax may not have kept pace with those developements, without him, those developements wouldn't have been possible in the first place. Without Gygax, there probably wouldn't have been the leap from the finite space of gaming tables to the infinite space of imagination.
Without him, there wouldn't be many of the memories that are still important to me.
Far well on your last great journey, Gary Gygax!
Parting is all we know from Heaven, and all we need of hell.
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Gambit37
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This is sad news.
Oddly, I think I'm one of the few here who never actually played D&D though I have always been aware of Gygax as its creator. The only RPGs I ever actually played was Middle Earth Roleplaying back in the mid 80s -- and a quick test of the FF RPG rules, again back in the day.
I was mainly a solo gamer: gamebooks and computer games like DM were thie things I enjoyed. I guess all of these owe a debt to D&D.
Gygax has left a fine legacy and long may people find delight in his creations.
Oddly, I think I'm one of the few here who never actually played D&D though I have always been aware of Gygax as its creator. The only RPGs I ever actually played was Middle Earth Roleplaying back in the mid 80s -- and a quick test of the FF RPG rules, again back in the day.
I was mainly a solo gamer: gamebooks and computer games like DM were thie things I enjoyed. I guess all of these owe a debt to D&D.
Gygax has left a fine legacy and long may people find delight in his creations.
I used to play D&D in the 80s and Gygax was revered like a god.
It says here http://www.newsweek.com/id/118775 that the old, sick Gygax still played D&D regularly right up to his death. Unfortunately he didn't quite get his missus up enough cleric levels in time...
It says here http://www.newsweek.com/id/118775 that the old, sick Gygax still played D&D regularly right up to his death. Unfortunately he didn't quite get his missus up enough cleric levels in time...
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Erik Bauer
- Adept
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As Lunever, My first experience with RPG was Dungeon Master.
Then my interest grown until I actually started to play Pen&Papert RPGs.
Altough I do not like D&D as much as Warhammer (more a matter of taste reguarding the ruleset and the kind of approach to fantasy) I do enjoyed some D&D adventures and most D&D related videogames (Eye of Beholder, Baldur's gate, Icewind Dale, Diablo above the others) and I do know that without this man the RPG-Videogaming worlds would be very very different today, IMHO in worse.
Just think about that: without Gary most probably we could not have played Dungeon Master at all!
I (with a dozen of other players) had the blessing to have a Pizza with him at a convention in Modena (Italy), I think it was more or less 10 years ago, and I can confirm he was a splendid person, very youthful and with a unique way of telling stories.
I can also add that my life would be totally different without his contribute to the gaming world because without him Dungeon Master would not existed, thus I would have lost the possibility to get some interest in RPGs, without RPGs I would not have married my wife.
So, a big THANK YOU FOR ALL, Gary. You will be forever in our heatrs!
Then my interest grown until I actually started to play Pen&Papert RPGs.
Altough I do not like D&D as much as Warhammer (more a matter of taste reguarding the ruleset and the kind of approach to fantasy) I do enjoyed some D&D adventures and most D&D related videogames (Eye of Beholder, Baldur's gate, Icewind Dale, Diablo above the others) and I do know that without this man the RPG-Videogaming worlds would be very very different today, IMHO in worse.
Just think about that: without Gary most probably we could not have played Dungeon Master at all!
I (with a dozen of other players) had the blessing to have a Pizza with him at a convention in Modena (Italy), I think it was more or less 10 years ago, and I can confirm he was a splendid person, very youthful and with a unique way of telling stories.
I can also add that my life would be totally different without his contribute to the gaming world because without him Dungeon Master would not existed, thus I would have lost the possibility to get some interest in RPGs, without RPGs I would not have married my wife.
So, a big THANK YOU FOR ALL, Gary. You will be forever in our heatrs!
Don't let a closed door stop you
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MitchB1990
- Artisan
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- Location: Seattle, WA
I started playing the Advanced Dungeons and Dragons in 3rd grade, and when 3rd Edition rolled around I bought all the official guide. I would play it with my friends online using an RPG client, Needless to say Pen and paper RPGs have always been my favorite, and the genius that was Gary Gygax will be missed immensely.
A common mistake people make when trying to design something completely foolproof is to underestimate the ingenuity of complete fools. Joined 27 Feb 2005 as Dark.
Well I started when AD&D 2nd Edition was already published for a while, but many players were still playing AD&D 1st Edition. Waaay back! Stirs many memories thinking about it. It's safe to say that Gary Gygax has influenced my life significantly.
Parting is all we know from Heaven, and all we need of hell.
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