Gary Gygax
Gary Gygax died.
For many, this isn’t a name that rings any bells. It’s not a name that I owe any direct debt of gratitude for, but if it were not for things this man has done years ago, it’s possible that I could very well be in some softly padded room wearing the long sleeved jacket with buckles.
One of my largest creative outlets is role playing. And Gary Gygax is credited as being the grandfather of role playing. He was one of the co-creators of Dungeons and Dragons, which pretty much was the start of it all. It spawned countless other role playing systems and ways for people to express and release their creativity with other people in far off lands that never existed.
Sometimes, I feel if it weren’t for a few aspects of my life, I could have gotten lost to my fantasies. I see it a lot in some of the circles I frequent. People who are so engrossed in something that isn’t real, that it blinds them from what’s going on around them. People need fantasies and escapes from the real world, but they need to be managed properly or else we can get lost in them. I have 3 main releases. Music, drawing, and role playing.
My first endeavor into role playing was in fact, Dungeons and Dragons. I was a character based off an anime I liked, the big dumb fighter type with a heart of gold. I remember cleaving the head off of a demonic bull in one slice, but it’s acidic blood created fumes which knocked me out cold soon after, and I had to be dragged off the battle field. It was a fun game, and I can say even though it was just a short game we never went back to, it got me hooked. Since then, I’ve played more than just D&D. Systems created by others, variations of D20 and other such things, and I’ve loved them all. I’ve loved the character’s I’ve created. Yurdi Fenerin, my self serving rogue who would just as soon stab his group in the back, but knows the value of a good meat shield when he sees one. Holy Tony, my mobster Cleric who planned on bringing order to religion with his deals others couldn’t refuse. Dawsh, large, inhuman, not too bright, but with a show of friendship towards him, he was willing to do anything for those that rescued him from a fight that was going sour. The many variations of me that I’ve played in games from a large bear pirate, to a diplomatic intergalactic teenage peace keeper. Joseph, my fictional eldest son, dark and brooding with desires that go far beyond those of any mortal man. Pennik Boltblazer and JACK, my Halfling and warforged duo who are trying to help their former king find his place in the world and save a kingdom that believes them all long dead. And this is only a FEW of the characters I’ve helped bring to life in different worlds out there.
So many different characters. So many outlets for me to release the creativity that bottles up inside. Now, it’s been years since D&D was created. Maybe someone else would have come up with systems such as D&D since then and I would still have my outlet. But they didn’t do it first. He did. And I hope that where ever he finds himself now that he’s passed on, he can hear all the prayers of those who he’s helped by allowing us to, for a little while, escape to another world, where we can be more or less than we are right now, and live through experiences that no one else could fathom.
Thank you Gary Gygax.
For many, this isn’t a name that rings any bells. It’s not a name that I owe any direct debt of gratitude for, but if it were not for things this man has done years ago, it’s possible that I could very well be in some softly padded room wearing the long sleeved jacket with buckles.
One of my largest creative outlets is role playing. And Gary Gygax is credited as being the grandfather of role playing. He was one of the co-creators of Dungeons and Dragons, which pretty much was the start of it all. It spawned countless other role playing systems and ways for people to express and release their creativity with other people in far off lands that never existed.
Sometimes, I feel if it weren’t for a few aspects of my life, I could have gotten lost to my fantasies. I see it a lot in some of the circles I frequent. People who are so engrossed in something that isn’t real, that it blinds them from what’s going on around them. People need fantasies and escapes from the real world, but they need to be managed properly or else we can get lost in them. I have 3 main releases. Music, drawing, and role playing.
My first endeavor into role playing was in fact, Dungeons and Dragons. I was a character based off an anime I liked, the big dumb fighter type with a heart of gold. I remember cleaving the head off of a demonic bull in one slice, but it’s acidic blood created fumes which knocked me out cold soon after, and I had to be dragged off the battle field. It was a fun game, and I can say even though it was just a short game we never went back to, it got me hooked. Since then, I’ve played more than just D&D. Systems created by others, variations of D20 and other such things, and I’ve loved them all. I’ve loved the character’s I’ve created. Yurdi Fenerin, my self serving rogue who would just as soon stab his group in the back, but knows the value of a good meat shield when he sees one. Holy Tony, my mobster Cleric who planned on bringing order to religion with his deals others couldn’t refuse. Dawsh, large, inhuman, not too bright, but with a show of friendship towards him, he was willing to do anything for those that rescued him from a fight that was going sour. The many variations of me that I’ve played in games from a large bear pirate, to a diplomatic intergalactic teenage peace keeper. Joseph, my fictional eldest son, dark and brooding with desires that go far beyond those of any mortal man. Pennik Boltblazer and JACK, my Halfling and warforged duo who are trying to help their former king find his place in the world and save a kingdom that believes them all long dead. And this is only a FEW of the characters I’ve helped bring to life in different worlds out there.
So many different characters. So many outlets for me to release the creativity that bottles up inside. Now, it’s been years since D&D was created. Maybe someone else would have come up with systems such as D&D since then and I would still have my outlet. But they didn’t do it first. He did. And I hope that where ever he finds himself now that he’s passed on, he can hear all the prayers of those who he’s helped by allowing us to, for a little while, escape to another world, where we can be more or less than we are right now, and live through experiences that no one else could fathom.
Thank you Gary Gygax.