Gary Gygax

Well, I haven't posted for a few days. I was going to post Tuesday morning shortly after I learned that Gary Gygax passed away earlier that morning but I decided to wait.

As one of the "fathers" of Dungeons and Dragons, Gary spawned an entire generation of role-playing games and ideas that have truly permeated throughout society. Games such as World of Warcraft and Everquest would look very different, if they existed at all, without Gary's developments. D&D has had a huge influence on a wide variety of games and a vast number of people. How many of us escaped a bad day as a Paladin wading through a den of evil swinging a holy sword or as a Magic-User throwing a fireball?

On a personal note; I was fortunate enough to dine and game with Gary on several different occasions. He loved puns, and had a wonderful sense of humor. He was a blast to be around. He genuinely loved games and gaming, and genuinely enjoyed meeting his fans (most of the time ;)). I have also had the good fortune to meet several of his sons, though never Gail. I hope that their family recovers from this loss and can move forward holding their memories of him to their hearts. Gary's youngest son should be about 21 now and is likely to be hardest hit.

It is sad to note that some of the other original "greats" in role-playing games are suffering health problems. Bob Bledsaw, owner of Judge's Guild, now has terminal cancer and is unlikely to make it through the year. I have heard that Dave Arneson, the "other" father of Dungeons and Dragons is also very ill. This may be a sad year for many in this respect but I think that the best way to remember Gary, and to think about these other greats, is to "game on." These people put their energy into creating games for the rest of us to play and enjoy for the years to come.

Gary, Rest in Peace