Dungeons & Dragons creator dies
Gary Gygax, cocreator of the pen-and-paper game that directly spawned Baldur's Gate and Neverwinter Nights and influenced the entire RPG genre, has died at age 69.
Before there were any role-playing video games, there were pen-and-paper role-playing games. This week brings the sad news that one of the founders of the most famous analog RPG has passed way. Gary Gygax, cocreator of Dungeons & Dragons, died on Tuesday at the age of 69. He had suffered from heart problems.
;)
The news was first announced on the forums of Troll Lord Games, the publisher of Gygax's most recent works. It has since been directly confirmed by the company, which will post an announcement on its Web site later today.
Gygax was best known for helping create Dungeons & Dragons and Advanced Dungeons & Dragons, and pioneered tabletop RPGs. The first D&D rulebooks were released in 1974 by TSR, Inc., the tabletop RPG company Gygax founded with Don Kaye the year prior. Since then, there have been three full-fledged reworkings of D&D, numerous revisions and updates, and dozens of additional rulebooks, settings, and campaigns.
Since TSR was purchased by Wizards of the Coast in 1997, the game has seen even more expansions and updates. The company released Dungeons & Dragons 3rd Edition in 2000, and Dungeons & Dragons 4.0 is scheduled to ship this coming June. Although Gygax hadn't had much direct involvement with D&D for many years, he developed and contributed to many RPGs, such as Gary Gygax's Fantasy Worlds from Troll Lord Games.
If not for Gygax's contributions, video games would look much different than they do today. D&D's systems and mythos led directly to many marquee video game RPGs, including the Baldur's Gate and Neverwinter Nights series from BioWare. Its influence can also be seen in many other modern fantasy RPGs, including The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion and World of Warcraft. Another of TSR's pen-and-paper RPGs, Star Frontiers, was the precursor to many science fiction RPGs, such as Mass Effect.
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665 Comments
Man thats really sad, D&D was the basis for all the roleplaying games of today...ahmmm 69.
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Thanks for everything you've accomplished here on earth and how you changed the face of gaming. With out you i wouldn't have been able to enjoy all the great RPG's that touched me dearly. May god bless you and much love from all your fans.
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RIP dude, hope you having fun up there
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That's a darn shame. Almost every RPG I play was influenced by this guy. I'll continue to play them in his honor.
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Oh dear, RIP. We people will never forget you and effort to continue your struggle!
-Vz
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4TH EDITION THIS SUMMER, LET US CAMPAIGN IN HIS MEMORY! Seriously, remember him in your next campaign somehow.
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We'll miss you...
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Game world lost one of his master. Without him, there's no DnD, Baldur's Gate, Neverwinter Nights, and other RPG game. GBU Mr. Gygax
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I vote for a National Gary Gygax Day.
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The world has lost a great artist and storyteller. RIP Gary Gygax
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The original Dungeon Master has enriched my life. God bless you Gary Gygax. I hope to see you on the other side.
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you made my life better and i wish you'r sole rest in peace
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o.O "Oh noes!"
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R.I.P.Gygax
may his soul rest with god...
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Gary's rolling critical hits in that big campaign in the sky. We have so much to thank him for.
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We Gamers will forever be in your debt, Gary. Thank you for sharing your world with us and allowing us to explore it with you.
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Thanks for making my life better, goodbye... Howl !!!
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RIP Gygax
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Thank you for making RPG's experiences possible, my condolenses to his family.
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He's rolling d20's with God now.
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Damn that's too bad, RIP Gygax, you will live forever on in your appearance on Futurama.
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He rolled a 1 on his Fortitude Save.
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may his soul rest in peace
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may you live on in or hearts oh great god of rpg's
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This news still saddens me.
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We owe him so much.
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RIP Gary Gynax
Thank you for bringing great rpgs to the world that touched my heart and gave me hours of entertainment that i will never forget.
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RIP
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Poor Gynax...
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he truly created a great system for gamers. and anyone who hasn't played pen and paper D&D should be ashamed of themselves as a gamer.
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God Bless You Old One! Where you go I hope always continues creating great adventures and always giving inspiration the future generations. Very Thanks, and go in peace
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RIP ,you will not be forgotten ...
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RIP ,you will not be forgotten ...
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He fumbled a save check.
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At least he left a footprint for all the world to read =)
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Rest in Peace, Gary Gygax.
Gaming all my life, I realize how much of an impact you had on mine and many other's lives.
There wouldn't have been a Baldur's Gate if it wasn't for you. We would have missed out on many adventures, and video gaming might have not gone in the direction it did.
Thanks for contributing so much to this culture.
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Shame, to die at only 69, though that isn't really that young it is still very early. I remember when I saw this guy on Futurama, bloody hilarious
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if only we could use a revive portion
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I'm sad. I think I'm gonna burn all my old character sheets.
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That is sad news indeed. Brilliant creative mind, even back in the days was being an elf was actually a core class. It's ironic; the gaming convention he started (Gencon) dies, and he passes away shortly after. That said, very few of us ever get to influence so many others in a positive, intellectually stimulating way.
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Rest in Peace Good Sir, Rest in Peace.
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RIP m8 RIP
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RIP
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Rest In Peace Gary Gygax. May God smile on you for your selfless contribution to human culture. Just as Edison developed the modern light bulb, you developed the Role Playing Game as we know it. Your life was spent well. Your name may be forgotten as well as your contributions to the Earth but your influence will always stay with humanity until the end of our time. Rest In Peace Gary Gygax.
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Man, such a shame, still Ce la vie! I'm sure he's now the ultimate Dungeon Master!
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This man is a Legend. Nothing more to say about it.
RIP.
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So long and thanks for the fish, as another great person would say. RIP
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I was thinking the same thing about the loot lol
Wonder what he was working on before he died....
RIP
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