Gary Gygax passed on at age 69

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CJ564
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Gary Gygax passed on at age 69

Post by CJ564 »

Since I know we have a few RP geeks around here, I thought this might be of genuine interest:

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.c ... .DTL&tsp=1
(03-04) 10:50 PST MILWAUKEE, (AP) --

Gary Gygax, who co-created the fantasy game Dungeons & Dragons and helped start the role-playing phenomenon, died Tuesday morning at his home in Lake Geneva. He was 69.

He had been suffering from health problems for several years, including an abdominal aneurysm, said his wife, Gail Gygax.

Gygax and Dave Arneson developed Dungeons & Dragons in 1974 using medieval characters and mythical creatures. The game known for its oddly shaped dice became a hit, particularly among teenage boys, and eventually was turned into video games, books and movies.

Gygax always enjoyed hearing from the game's legion of devoted fans, many of whom would stop by the family's home in Lake Geneva, about 55 miles southwest of Milwaukee, his wife said. Despite his declining health, he hosted weekly games of Dungeons & Dragons as recently as January, she said.

"It really meant a lot to him to hear from people from over the years about how he helped them become a doctor, a lawyer, a policeman, what he gave them," Gygax said. "He really enjoyed that."

Dungeons & Dragons players create fictional characters and carry out their adventures with the help of complicated rules. The quintessential geek pastime, it spawned a wealth of copycat games and later inspired a whole genre of computer games that's still growing in popularity.

Funeral arrangements are pending. Besides his wife, Gygax is survived by six children.
This report initially came from Troll Lord Games forum. My friend works for them and confirmed that Troll Lord wouldn't make these things up. It was picked up by the AP a few hours ago.

God speed Mr.Gygax. I know you believed in a better place, and I'm sure you made it there.
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Post by DarthBarbieDoll »

This is such sad news. :( I was a huge AD&D gamer back in college, so yeah... we're talking first edition game rules for me. ;) I even still have all of my original books, character sheets, dice, and leads. Mr. Gygax will be missed.
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Post by kbfett »

He didn't get a savings roll?

....eh too soon?....sorry really tacky......I played some AD&D myself and it's shaped everything from fantasy movies to Videogames he has definately left his legacy.
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Post by merrick »

i'm really bummed out now. i've been playing D&D in its various incarnations for the last 25 years
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Post by Dinadin TK-5972 »

Here is a little tribute to him.

http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0536.html
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Post by rebelbuttkicker »

I never was a big D&D fan, but I played other RPG's. So this is where it all started, but not where it ends...
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