http://wkbt.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.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gary_Gygax

I’m very sad now.

And now he’ll wake up in a ten-foot high by ten-foot wide stone passageway. . .

. . .and it went on to become 1 of the. . .

Gaaaaaaah!  My eyes!!!

Accipiter - 05 March 2008 12:00 AM

And now he’ll wake up in a ten-foot high by ten-foot wide stone passageway. . .

. . .and it went on to become 1 of the. . .

Gaaaaaaah!  My eyes!!!

Ooh.. ouch.. I’m guessing a grammar checker swapped that for some ungodly reason.

But yes… So sad..

There was a boy who sat behind me in *every* class we had together (just a fluke of seating arrangements, we didn’t choose our own seats).  He tried once to explain this game to me.  I totally didn’t get it.

Maegan - 05 March 2008 12:52 AM

There was a boy who sat behind me in *every* class we had together (just a fluke of seating arrangements, we didn’t choose our own seats).  He tried once to explain this game to me.  I totally didn’t get it.

Yeah, I’m just sort of gradually working out the rules and nature of such games myself by seeing what people here online say about them.

There’s a Dungeons and Dragons for Dummies book out there, breaks it all down nice and easy.

Also, if you would like a good, basic roleplaying game, GURPS (Generic Universal Role Playing System) has a Lite version that’s freely downloadable:

http://www.sjgames.com/gurps/lite/

For a good idea of how such games are played, check out Darths And Droids, a webcomic retelling of the Star Wars Saga in RPG terms..

http://www.irregularwebcomic.net/darthsanddroids/episodes/0001.html

Be sure to read the comments, as they do give some insight into how such games often unfold, and the way some players act. You may think the personality types in the comic are exaggerated for comedic value, but they’re not far off the mark in some cases.

(Oh, and some of the folks on the forum may be a little familiar…)

There’s a nice tribute strip over at the Order of the Stick webcomic.

(...tries to roll a “19” or better “saving throw”.....)

(......fails…..)

(...Tears up character sheet…..and cries…..)

(...fears not even a double-dipped choco chip cookie will make this one better…..)

*administers chocolate-dipped cheesecake*

Robin Bobcat - 05 March 2008 09:46 AM

*administers chocolate-dipped cheesecake*

*sniffles long and loudly…*

Now if only there were cherries…..

I know Something Positive did a strip, too, though it’s only funny if you’re a regular reader.  I would expect quite a few online strips did something either yesterday or today.  Even World of Warcraft did a tribute to him, which is only fitting since WoW wouldn’t even exist without Gygax and his friends.