In case you have been living under a rock Like me...
I found out this morning that Gary Gygax died yesterday at the age of 69. He was the Co-creator of dungeons and dragons with Dave Arneson that launched the roleplaying and modern gaming industry. While I never met the man I have known his name since I was 12 and I would simply not be the person I am if he hadn't had the imagination he did.
I was not exactly popular in grade school. I was a bookworm stuck in my head and imagination. When my brother and father introduced me to D&D after playing the old Dungeon board game I found something that I could channel my imagination into. It gave me confidence to be able to use a talent I had in a personal and productive way. While I did well in School so did most of my class so that didn't make me special. I was tall but when People keep bringing up how much taller you are than the rest of the class that just makes you feel like a freak. And needless to say I was not athletic, which when you're a little boy at recess seems to be the only thing that matters to the other kids. So while other kids were playing sports I was thinking up grand plot twists to throw at my adventurers. Dungeons and Dragons taught me Math, Problem solving, Writing & Vocabulary. I used the think the first non children's/Young Adult book I ever read was Vampire of the Mists by Christie Golden, but I just realized it was actually the 2nd edition Players Handbook. I was not a always a happy kid, but without gaming in my youth, I shudder to think just how depressed I might have been and what I would be like today. I know I wouldn't be as self sufficient and complete a person as I am.
Without Gary Gygax and Dave Arneson's creation it is likely we would be living in a world without not just Dungeon and Dragons, but things like Magic the Gathering, Final Fantasy, World of Warcraft, Warhammer, Vampire the Masquerade, Larping, Munchkin, Order of the Stick, Nodwick, Dorktower, Dragonlance and so much more. I am sure that I will be doing something gaming related in the near future as a tribute to his passing.
Goodbye Gary and thank you for giving nerdy kids everywhere a chance to slay dragons and be heroes. I know that somewhere out there you're just getting started on a new campaign. We're all hoping you roll natural 20s.
I was not exactly popular in grade school. I was a bookworm stuck in my head and imagination. When my brother and father introduced me to D&D after playing the old Dungeon board game I found something that I could channel my imagination into. It gave me confidence to be able to use a talent I had in a personal and productive way. While I did well in School so did most of my class so that didn't make me special. I was tall but when People keep bringing up how much taller you are than the rest of the class that just makes you feel like a freak. And needless to say I was not athletic, which when you're a little boy at recess seems to be the only thing that matters to the other kids. So while other kids were playing sports I was thinking up grand plot twists to throw at my adventurers. Dungeons and Dragons taught me Math, Problem solving, Writing & Vocabulary. I used the think the first non children's/Young Adult book I ever read was Vampire of the Mists by Christie Golden, but I just realized it was actually the 2nd edition Players Handbook. I was not a always a happy kid, but without gaming in my youth, I shudder to think just how depressed I might have been and what I would be like today. I know I wouldn't be as self sufficient and complete a person as I am.
Without Gary Gygax and Dave Arneson's creation it is likely we would be living in a world without not just Dungeon and Dragons, but things like Magic the Gathering, Final Fantasy, World of Warcraft, Warhammer, Vampire the Masquerade, Larping, Munchkin, Order of the Stick, Nodwick, Dorktower, Dragonlance and so much more. I am sure that I will be doing something gaming related in the near future as a tribute to his passing.
Goodbye Gary and thank you for giving nerdy kids everywhere a chance to slay dragons and be heroes. I know that somewhere out there you're just getting started on a new campaign. We're all hoping you roll natural 20s.