My fondest memories of early childhood were sitting around the dining room table playing with the early (lead rich) miniatures of my oldest brother and his friends as they played AD&D. A few years after that, my brother had moved out and my siblings didn't really interact with each other, at least not in any positive way. But I remembered Dungeons and Dragons and before I was old enough to scavenge money together, or even understand the literary requirements, I was busy trying to recreate the game my brother had played with his friends. After a few more moves, I reconnected with my brother long enough for him to pass on his books to me. My first books were D&D and a few mixed AD&D housed inside a 10th Anniversary Boxed Set case.
This was the beginning of a reconnection between myself and my siblings. The only things we all had in common were blood and Dungeons and Dragons. And only one of those was voluntary. Even after my parents divorce, my siblings put aside their mutual hatred and interacted long enough to continue teaching me how to play and to introduce me to their favorite stories and characters from the game.
In the following years I was able to start earning money and, of course my primary expense was building my collection of, then spankin' new, 2nd Edition manuals and modules. I gathered a following of freaks and societal outcasts and taught them to play.
Enough. Suffice to say, Dungeons and Dragons has been and continues to be one of the most important facets of my life. As an adult, it is closer to me than anything, save my wife and daughter. And Mr. Gygax is the only person I have ever considered to be my hero.
In your name I offer my favorite character of all time. Long before Lord Baal became a common place name thanks to Diablo, I played a character named Lord Baal. While his playtime was incredibly short-lived, his backstory made him memorable. Lord Baal was a demon paying penance. He was born a paladin, was lost in the Nine Hells and was slowly corrupted into a demon knight. Eventually he broke free of the corruption and sought redemption. At the time of playing, we was an "imagination" elemental. Amorphic, and completely looney, he most often took a form very similar to , but with batlike wings. His penance was to protect the party and keep them from harm. In OOC: he was placed in the game as a backup for the DM, a means of preventing a group of completely newbie characters from hopeless annihilation. I still take his name in every online game I play. I still remember infuriating the DM with 30 minutes of real time spent playing with an otherwise useless aquarium in a haunted house we were sent to investigate. I even went so far as to shape change into a lining around the glass of the aquarium so we could carry the water around with us. I loved that insane character.
Gary, everything I love, I owe to you. Thank you. You will be greatly missed.
Rest I peace Gary, for you brought us all closer, I remember staying up all night for prob a total of like 50 hours over 2 days rolling dice, and laughing, having a great time. not to mention all the food and drinks consumed.
Thankyou
I play rpgs, and liking plenty of them.
Thankyou
You changed an industry, and many, many lives for the better.
I kinda figured there might be a tribute to Gary here. Too bad I didn't check in sooner.
Anyway, it's 1981...
A five-minute chat with a newfound friend on the playground as to what D&D was all about and I was hooked. Swords, monsters and armor? Suddenly kickball is no longer cool. Until you've immersed yourself in that world, it's hard to understand the appeal. But Mr. Gygax helped transform a completely shy and introverted 12 year-old into someone who opened himself up in ways unimaginable through D&D and roleplaying. Artistically I thrived through character drawings, painstakingly painted lead miniatures, and original monster creations to surprise friends and players who were all too familiar with the ol' Monster Manual. And even though I was petrified to go before classmates for any sort of oral report in school, I had no problems GMing daylong games with adults and kids alike, acting out various character voices and FULLY engaging players in MY world.
Not long after I was regularly attending The DunDraCon in Oakland, California. Me and my friends would game at events like that on little or no sleep sometimes. Nourishment consisted of NoDoz, Jolt Cola and one pound bags of M&M's. Hotel room? Bed? Who needs it?! I'm probably lucky to have not gone into cardiac arrest from 72-hour stints like that. And all for a game. A game!
Or is it? Some would tell you that roleplaying is a way of life.
And Gary's influence on the digital age...
I musta been about 16 when the original Bard's Tale for the Commodore 64 hit shelves. I sold off my comic book collection to buy that computer JUST to play that particular game. That was more than 20 years ago. Look at what we have now! All of that...all of *this*...it's all a direct result of Gary Gygax and Dave Arneson's creation.
I really hope some big names and big companies step up to the plate sometime this year and really, truly honor what this man introduced the world to. He deserves it.
Thanks Gary.
Gamer / Semi-Important Person / Definitely More Important Than You / Wanna Fight About It?
Now Playing: Games, More Games, A Few Games You Don't Play, Do You Really Care What I Play?
When I read of his passing it was if I had lost something vital. A fantastic wizard of imagination has been lost. His spells however will live on and mingle subtly with our everyday lives. Through countless books, movies and games his presence will be forever felt.
My brothers and I would play D&D into the wee hours almost every day. The game had a way of expanding your thinking and imagination. It drew from us a courage to do things in our everyday lives that we not have considered otherwise.
As I look back, I recall that we always had one empty seat at the table when we played. No matter how many friends we had over for a dungeon run, always an extra seat.
Maybe not so empty, thanks for being there Gary. You will be missed.
I have played and DM'd D&D campains for a long time now about 17 years i have a few water proof crates full of old characters and such curently i play in 4 diffrent games and run one every week i have more books that i care to remember were i have them in my house although by far i had an elven ranger that was a royal pain in the a** if it was there he would see it if it made a sound he would hear it he could hit a pin from 400 feet away [never the less most dm's per pissed because of this] when ever we needed something sniped my ranger was there. hats off to you D&D was a big part of my life
Thank you for the many hundreds of weekends, which resulted in friends for life and many excellent memories.
I can still recall opening the blue map from Keep on the Borderlands before we had any rules, sitting with my mates saying 'i don't know what this is, but it looks fun'. We each got a rule book on xmas day and ran out the house to my friends' and played all afternoon. My parents were stunned why i would give my present away (i got the monster manual and wasn't the dm). failed my exams thanks to him, but frankly didn't care and proved a lot more useful in life.
As someone who has been in many AD&D campaigns as both a player and a DM, I was really shocked and saddened to hear about Gary Gygax's death. I know very little about him other than his co-creation of Dungeons and Dragons and a second RPG in the 90s (whose name I can't remember). I hope his legacy continues to carry on in RPG and cRPG fields. As such, though he is bodily dead, he will still live on in our modern gaming traditions. I hope I am not too conceited in saying that I think that is what he ultimately would have wanted.
RIP Gary.
Back in EvE. Started with BatMUD. Main MMOs have been EvE and DAoC.
I began playing Dungeons & Dragons around the 6th and 7th grade, well over 25 years ago, with nothing more than my friend's imagination and three six sided dice. Jeremy Milton and I didn't have much time to play the game together back there in San Diego, but I'll never forget him for it.
I wish that I could say that I met Mr. Gygax, but I never have. Yet, in some small way, I know that I can say I did know him. Thank you for opening so many eyes to this world you've created Gary. I, for one, will continue to cherish it. May you rest in peace, my friend, and may your adventures live on forever.
Well I sit here at work and after reading many of your post's I reflect on how Gary impacted my life. I started playing D&D 16 years ago, I was shy and from a military family that moved alot. I had a vivid imagination and just needed a little help to open up. I met a group of people who played, they had a tight group, they played twice a week tuesday nights starting at 5pm and sundays starting at 8 am. They welcomed me into there group of 7 and my adventures begun. I recall one instnce I'll talk about then Ill say my peace. We were all in a dungeon in a room described my the DM as dark and damp with broken bottles and so fourth etc. Also noted a strange dust on one of the tables. Well Keith was feelin good had a few pops before the tuesday night session and decided to throw the dust at Mark. Kendal the DM passed a note to Mark and for the next hour the notes continued and things flew around the room, glass broke and people were getting pushed over. It was hillarious really. Cudos to the dust that made him invisable and cudos to the minds of my great friends for haveing fun with it, I will never forget that night.
Anyway I feel embalmed with grief over a great man and a good friend that we all knew so well but never had the chance to meet. Thank you Gary for opening the minds of many shy children who will go on in life to do great things for this world because your creations allowed them to step out of real life if only for one night to be someone that normally was left only to the dreams and wish's.
Rest in peace Gary you will live in our hearts for all eternity. Thank You.
Comments
My fondest memories of early childhood were sitting around the dining room table playing with the early (lead rich) miniatures of my oldest brother and his friends as they played AD&D. A few years after that, my brother had moved out and my siblings didn't really interact with each other, at least not in any positive way. But I remembered Dungeons and Dragons and before I was old enough to scavenge money together, or even understand the literary requirements, I was busy trying to recreate the game my brother had played with his friends. After a few more moves, I reconnected with my brother long enough for him to pass on his books to me. My first books were D&D and a few mixed AD&D housed inside a 10th Anniversary Boxed Set case.
This was the beginning of a reconnection between myself and my siblings. The only things we all had in common were blood and Dungeons and Dragons. And only one of those was voluntary. Even after my parents divorce, my siblings put aside their mutual hatred and interacted long enough to continue teaching me how to play and to introduce me to their favorite stories and characters from the game.
In the following years I was able to start earning money and, of course my primary expense was building my collection of, then spankin' new, 2nd Edition manuals and modules. I gathered a following of freaks and societal outcasts and taught them to play.
Enough. Suffice to say, Dungeons and Dragons has been and continues to be one of the most important facets of my life. As an adult, it is closer to me than anything, save my wife and daughter. And Mr. Gygax is the only person I have ever considered to be my hero.
In your name I offer my favorite character of all time. Long before Lord Baal became a common place name thanks to Diablo, I played a character named Lord Baal. While his playtime was incredibly short-lived, his backstory made him memorable. Lord Baal was a demon paying penance. He was born a paladin, was lost in the Nine Hells and was slowly corrupted into a demon knight. Eventually he broke free of the corruption and sought redemption. At the time of playing, we was an "imagination" elemental. Amorphic, and completely looney, he most often took a form very similar to
, but with batlike wings. His penance was to protect the party and keep them from harm. In OOC: he was placed in the game as a backup for the DM, a means of preventing a group of completely newbie characters from hopeless annihilation. I still take his name in every online game I play. I still remember infuriating the DM with 30 minutes of real time spent playing with an otherwise useless aquarium in a haunted house we were sent to investigate. I even went so far as to shape change into a lining around the glass of the aquarium so we could carry the water around with us. I loved that insane character.
Gary, everything I love, I owe to you. Thank you. You will be greatly missed.
Rest I peace Gary, for you brought us all closer, I remember staying up all night for prob a total of like 50 hours over 2 days rolling dice, and laughing, having a great time. not to mention all the food and drinks consumed.
Thankyou
I play rpgs, and liking plenty of them.
Thankyou
You changed an industry, and many, many lives for the better.
Thankyou
and finally you did good Gary, you did Good
I kinda figured there might be a tribute to Gary here. Too bad I didn't check in sooner.
Anyway, it's 1981...
A five-minute chat with a newfound friend on the playground as to what D&D was all about and I was hooked. Swords, monsters and armor? Suddenly kickball is no longer cool. Until you've immersed yourself in that world, it's hard to understand the appeal. But Mr. Gygax helped transform a completely shy and introverted 12 year-old into someone who opened himself up in ways unimaginable through D&D and roleplaying. Artistically I thrived through character drawings, painstakingly painted lead miniatures, and original monster creations to surprise friends and players who were all too familiar with the ol' Monster Manual. And even though I was petrified to go before classmates for any sort of oral report in school, I had no problems GMing daylong games with adults and kids alike, acting out various character voices and FULLY engaging players in MY world.
Not long after I was regularly attending The DunDraCon in Oakland, California. Me and my friends would game at events like that on little or no sleep sometimes. Nourishment consisted of NoDoz, Jolt Cola and one pound bags of M&M's. Hotel room? Bed? Who needs it?! I'm probably lucky to have not gone into cardiac arrest from 72-hour stints like that. And all for a game. A game!
Or is it? Some would tell you that roleplaying is a way of life.
And Gary's influence on the digital age...
I musta been about 16 when the original Bard's Tale for the Commodore 64 hit shelves. I sold off my comic book collection to buy that computer JUST to play that particular game. That was more than 20 years ago. Look at what we have now! All of that...all of *this*...it's all a direct result of Gary Gygax and Dave Arneson's creation.
I really hope some big names and big companies step up to the plate sometime this year and really, truly honor what this man introduced the world to. He deserves it.
Thanks Gary.
Gamer / Semi-Important Person / Definitely More Important Than You / Wanna Fight About It?
Now Playing: Games, More Games, A Few Games You Don't Play, Do You Really Care What I Play?
When I read of his passing it was if I had lost something vital. A fantastic wizard of imagination has been lost. His spells however will live on and mingle subtly with our everyday lives. Through countless books, movies and games his presence will be forever felt.
My brothers and I would play D&D into the wee hours almost every day. The game had a way of expanding your thinking and imagination. It drew from us a courage to do things in our everyday lives that we not have considered otherwise.
As I look back, I recall that we always had one empty seat at the table when we played. No matter how many friends we had over for a dungeon run, always an extra seat.
Maybe not so empty, thanks for being there Gary. You will be missed.
I have played and DM'd D&D campains for a long time now about 17 years i have a few water proof crates full of old characters and such curently i play in 4 diffrent games and run one every week i have more books that i care to remember were i have them in my house although by far i had an elven ranger that was a royal pain in the a** if it was there he would see it if it made a sound he would hear it he could hit a pin from 400 feet away [never the less most dm's per pissed because of this] when ever we needed something sniped my ranger was there. hats off to you D&D was a big part of my life
Ancient Everquest Player
With him vanished a part of my own childhood.
Thank you for the many hundreds of weekends, which resulted in friends for life and many excellent memories.
I can still recall opening the blue map from Keep on the Borderlands before we had any rules, sitting with my mates saying 'i don't know what this is, but it looks fun'. We each got a rule book on xmas day and ran out the house to my friends' and played all afternoon. My parents were stunned why i would give my present away (i got the monster manual and wasn't the dm). failed my exams thanks to him, but frankly didn't care and proved a lot more useful in life.
Maldred the Black
Cleric (level 11 in the end I think)
gary is been a big part of my gaming life.. farewell to you gary farewell
As someone who has been in many AD&D campaigns as both a player and a DM, I was really shocked and saddened to hear about Gary Gygax's death. I know very little about him other than his co-creation of Dungeons and Dragons and a second RPG in the 90s (whose name I can't remember). I hope his legacy continues to carry on in RPG and cRPG fields. As such, though he is bodily dead, he will still live on in our modern gaming traditions. I hope I am not too conceited in saying that I think that is what he ultimately would have wanted.
RIP Gary.
Back in EvE. Started with BatMUD. Main MMOs have been EvE and DAoC.
I began playing Dungeons & Dragons around the 6th and 7th grade, well over 25 years ago, with nothing more than my friend's imagination and three six sided dice. Jeremy Milton and I didn't have much time to play the game together back there in San Diego, but I'll never forget him for it.
I wish that I could say that I met Mr. Gygax, but I never have. Yet, in some small way, I know that I can say I did know him. Thank you for opening so many eyes to this world you've created Gary. I, for one, will continue to cherish it. May you rest in peace, my friend, and may your adventures live on forever.
Lord Belrain Stormbow
Gary, thanks for some of my fondest childhood memories. You will be missed but not forgotten.
Well I sit here at work and after reading many of your post's I reflect on how Gary impacted my life. I started playing D&D 16 years ago, I was shy and from a military family that moved alot. I had a vivid imagination and just needed a little help to open up. I met a group of people who played, they had a tight group, they played twice a week tuesday nights starting at 5pm and sundays starting at 8 am. They welcomed me into there group of 7 and my adventures begun. I recall one instnce I'll talk about then Ill say my peace. We were all in a dungeon in a room described my the DM as dark and damp with broken bottles and so fourth etc. Also noted a strange dust on one of the tables. Well Keith was feelin good had a few pops before the tuesday night session and decided to throw the dust at Mark. Kendal the DM passed a note to Mark and for the next hour the notes continued and things flew around the room, glass broke and people were getting pushed over. It was hillarious really. Cudos to the dust that made him invisable and cudos to the minds of my great friends for haveing fun with it, I will never forget that night.
Anyway I feel embalmed with grief over a great man and a good friend that we all knew so well but never had the chance to meet. Thank you Gary for opening the minds of many shy children who will go on in life to do great things for this world because your creations allowed them to step out of real life if only for one night to be someone that normally was left only to the dreams and wish's.
Rest in peace Gary you will live in our hearts for all eternity. Thank You.