The father of RPGs leaves this realm.

[Volonazra]

Today, gaming legend Gary Gygax passed away. He was an American writer and game designer, best known for co-creating the pioneering role-playing game Dungeons & Dragons (D&D) with Dave Arneson, and co-founding the company Tactical Studies Rules (TSR, Inc.) with Don Kaye in 1974. Gygax is generally acknowledged as the father of the role-playing game.

He was quoted as saying: "I would like the world to remember me as the guy who really enjoyed playing games and sharing his knowledge and his fun pastimes with everybody else."

I owe so much gratitude to him. I was introduce to the idea of gaming via D&D. I remember the feeling of awe, as my imagination was awakened upon opening those manuals. I have since then been gaming in some form all of my life. I will never forget what Gary gave to the me and the world.

[muru]

Same here,Cheef.

Lord, I remember never having anyone to play D&D with in the mid 70's. I just enjoyed reading the handboooks and marveling at the whole system/universe.

The same thing ocurred in about 1974 when I discovered Avalon Hill's Panzerblitz. I remember my older brother coming home and telling me of the game. A game with a map where ya pushed tanks around on it?; it was hard to even envision. Tabletop wargaming and sports gaming (Strat-o-Matic) remained a staple in my life until I entered college. I still peruse the wargaming sites and would buy a Startegy and Tactics if I saw it in a store:)

[Scryll]

My father knew and worked with Gary for a short while after he formed TSR. He came to Dad's wedding and replaced the standard bride&groom on top of the wedding cake with a blue dragon miniature he'd painted *it sank several inches into the cake. My maternal grandmother was NOT pleased*

[Crikrunner]

Thanks for endless day dreams Gary, dream well

[Corellon]

I started playing Dungeons and Dragons in church camp when I was 11, that would be almost 30 years ago. Read all the basic rules from cover to cover. The one thing that I remember through all that was that it was FUN, and his name was all over it. I have followed the game through all it's changes and spent thousands keeping up with the newest books. It all seems the same in some way, cause his legacy is here for us to consume. Remember his books where not meant to be followed word for word, just as a basic guide to help you make your world unique. Rest in peace Gary.

[Borg]

Gary....

May Honor Guide and Bind thee....

The world that you first opened has ushered in a new era and for generations to come it shall continue to grow and discoveries of new lands will be made.

The Honor Empire will bridge those worlds and worlds to come....that is our pledge to keep.

Strength and Honor to our fallen pioneer.

*puts the Imperial flags all at half mast for the month of March*

[Holyssa]

I remember when I was about 8 years old, my father would take me into gaming hobby shops just to look at model tanks, planes, and painting supplies. And one of the first things I did was dash on over to the aisles with the fantasy figurines, reading through the D&D and RPG rulebooks with awe, but I didn't quite understand the whole role-playing game concept at such a young age.

It was an odd memory, and something I did very often even when my brother used to collect WarHammer figurines when I was a teen, but it's still something that I owe my love for fantasy & RPGs to. Even if all I did was skim the rulebooks like a noob, it brought a smile to my face

Thanks for all the happy times, Gary!

[Toldar]

Like so many others Dungeons and Dragons was my introduction to gaming. I started playing back in 1983 when I was 10 years old. I remember being over at a friends house and his older brother and a few friends were getting ready to play and asked us if we wanted to join them. They gave us a brief once over of the rules, helped us roll up our characters and then we were whisked off into another time and place for an adventure through the module The Keep on the Borderlands.

That was it, I was hooked. I eventually got Ugar playing and we spent the better part of our youth playing with a group of friends in our neighborhood. Eventually our group dwindled and I made the transition to the Dungeons and Dragons Gold Box computer games by SSI. From there I made the leap to Everquest, Dark Ages of Camelot and eventualy World of Warcraft. But my love for fantasy gaming started long ago with a few friends and a game of Dungeons and Dragons.

A few weekends ago I was moving some boxes up in our attic and opened one up. Inside were several of my old D&D books and manuals, including my own copy of Keep on the Borderlands. Thanks, Gary, for all the enjoyment you helped bring me throughout the years!