My 7-year old daughter overheard me talking to my wife about Gary Gygax, and she asked me what we were talking about. I told her that Gary Gygax, the man who made the game that I play with my friends, died last night.

She said that in her 1st Grade class, her teacher said that when someone dies, people can have a party to celebrate their lives. And, following the wisdom of my daughter, I'm trying to get some friends together soon to play a game to celebrate Gary's life.

I say "try", because this is not a gaming weekend for my group. We can only get together when all of our work schedules are free on the weekend, and we're all crossed-up right now. But I hope to be able to get together, even if just for a few hours.

I hope you and yours will be able to, as well.

You can also celebrate your own. My friend has crafted a Tee Shirt on Cafe Press.

http://www.cafepress.com/mabelyncom/4992392

It says "Gary Gygax Changed My Life."

She'll also be making one that says "Gary Gygax Saved My Life."

Check them out. They're nifty. And self explanatory.

Every one of us knows that in the end Gary Gygax was simply one of us.

He was the first among equals at the gaming table, he was our old great grand game master.

And now his chair will be kept open, he will be missed.

WE the gaming community are his legacy.

To our fearless captain: HUZZAH !

HUZZAH!!!

HUZZAH!

A QUEST!

"You can count on MY steel!"

You can also celebrate your own. My friend has crafted a Tee Shirt on Cafe Press.

http://www.cafepress.com/mabelyncom/4992392

It says "Gary Gygax Changed My Life."

She'll also be making one that says "Gary Gygax Saved My Life."

Check them out. They're nifty. And self explanatory.

"Thus made their mourning the men of Geatland,
for their hero's passing his hearth-companions:
quoth that of all the kings of earth,
of men he was mildest and most beloved,
to his kin the kindest, keenest for praise."

"You can count on MY steel!"

HUZZAH!

You have my Huzzah and what Spells my mind can muster

HUZZAH!

Companions of stout heart, a trusty blade, and a Quest to chase! What more does any adventurer need?

A QUEST!

This subject is so deadly serious that it clearly calls for a light hearted answer. Anything else may cause a troll attack, and all-out smurf response.) Gary Gygax I understand to be the creator of D&D. Therefore in any situations where doubt as to 'what is D&D' should arise, possession of Gary Gygax is nine tenths of the game.
Lisa, Vic, Erik, and James should put their heads together to send out an adventuring party to locate Gary Gygax and bring him back home to store him in the Paizo treasure vault. That will settle once and for all what is really D&D and who is publishing it. (Obviously if the rival adventuring parties sent out by WotC, Green Ronin, White Wolf, etc, get there first, then they get the D&D 'bragging rights' instead.)

-I may post a more serious response when I am less tired.

HUZZAH!

Funny. I never really gave Gary Gygax much thought, but he was always there in the background, the founder of the game (the world) that gave me perhaps more pleasure, companionship and simple uncomplicated enjoyment than almost any other thing in the last 20 years. And for a fulfilled, successful and happy adult person, that's saying a lot! Thanks Gary Gygax. Whenever we gather together to roll dice dungeon-delve and have fun, we'll remember you.
-AWB (San Francisco D&D Gamers)

Funny and a little sweet, think it would have made Gary smile a little.

http://www.unclemonsterface.com/MP3s/ThankYouGaryGygax.mp3

I will miss the times I will "not" be able to share a game with Gary Gygax. But, I count my self lucky I got the chance back at Fan Expo Canada 2006, for two sit downs. One was a Legendary Adventures introduction to the game. I happened to be using an elementalist with all these percentages, and multiples to cast this and that. Overwhelmed, I just role-played trying to do whatever I could to get his attention from the other 11 or so players, crammed around a long rectangle table vying for his attention. I won an autographed L.A. book collection with autographs - I rolled a 100 to win them! I felt guilty because of the disappointment in all the other players’ eyes. One other player won the L.A. set he was using for the game! That must have been special, eh! But, my memorable moment was playing the 1stE D&D romp, where he cursed me for pilfering coins from a collection plate, but my gnome had some kind of Luck Chance and so I saved. Oh did his bushy Groucho Marx eyebrows lift at that! And he chuckled at my wins at outwitting him during the challenges of the encounter.

Jovial and willing to listen to all, to a fault, you got to love that quality in someone. And that someone just so happened to be the originating catalyst (in my opinion) of my favourite hobby past time, Dungeons and Dragons.

To have loved the game is to have loved the man!

Wassail! Wassail!! WASSAIL!

So many of these fond posts ...

Who would have thought?

Thank you, all, for your kindness.

Balabanto wrote:

You can also celebrate your own. My friend has crafted a Tee Shirt on Cafe Press.

http://www.cafepress.com/mabelyncom/4992392

It says "Gary Gygax Changed My Life."

She'll also be making one that says "Gary Gygax Saved My Life."

Check them out. They're nifty. And self explanatory.

Is she sending all the profits to the Gygax family? If not, this has to be the most disgusting thing to hit the geek community - EVER! Shameless... Immoral... Unethical... If she were charging only CafePress' base item cost, that'd be one thing, but this?...

Speaking boldly about the positive things that role-playing games have done for many of us would be one way of honoring Gygax's memory.

Thank you Mr. Gygax for many, many hours of fun and friends, and thanks to Eric for his excellent tribute here. Keep it up Eric, and you'll be remembered as fondly.

GYGAX!!!!

HUZZAH!

Yeah . . . goddamned right.

speaking as an official grognard ( started gaming in 1974 ish ) i can speak to how profouond the legacy of EGG is. After the debacle where he lost his hold on AD&D, his several games that followed, his continual involvement in the game is remarkable. Even though we have left to us several of the original contributors, none will affect us much as EGG. HUZZAH ... and once more into the breach !!!

Funny and a little sweet, think it would have made Gary smile a little.

link

My 7-year old daughter overheard me talking to my wife about Gary Gygax, and she asked me what we were talking about. I told her that Gary Gygax, the man who made the game that I play with my friends, died last night.

She said that in her 1st Grade class, her teacher said that when someone dies, people can have a party to celebrate their lives. And, following the wisdom of my daughter, I'm trying to get some friends together soon to play a game to celebrate Gary's life.

I say "try", because this is not a gaming weekend for my group. We can only get together when all of our work schedules are free on the weekend, and we're all crossed-up right now. But I hope to be able to get together, even if just for a few hours.

I hope you and yours will be able to, as well.