Rest in Peace, Ernie Gygax

[W E Ray]

Sad news, the first ever magic user in D&D, Tenser -- Ernie Gygax -- has passed away after a long series of battles with illness.

[W E Ray]

Any anecdotes from fellow Grognards who know more than I:

What's the tale behind 'Tenser's Floating Disk'?

How did he name his PC "Tenser" when the adults were naming their PCs anagrams of their real life names?

Etcetera.

[Aberzombie]

That's sad to hear. May he rest in peace.

[Dragonchess Player]

Darn.

I often thought Tenser was a more interesting "magic user" than Mordenkainen.

I propose that we either re-start the Roll 3d6 Six Times in Order thread started in homage to Gary, or create a new one, for people to create AD&D 1st Edition characters.

[Dragonchess Player]

W E Ray wrote:

Any anecdotes from fellow Grognards who know more than I:

What's the tale behind 'Tenser's Floating Disk'?

How did he name his PC "Tenser" when the adults were naming their PCs anagrams of their real life names?

Etcetera.

I vaguely recall Tenser's floating disk was created because Tenser was a stereotypical low-Str character and wanted/needed a way to carry the loot found.

[keftiu]

I only know Ernie Gygax from when he got sued a few years ago for snapping up the Star Frontiers trademark when it lapsed, trying to publish a book stuffed full of such charming things as mechanically-superior 'Aryan' humans and mechanically-inferior Black humans, complete with a cap on the latter's maximum intelligence. His racist and transphobic public comments while that was in the limelight did not endear me to him much.

You'll forgive me if I don't mourn the man.

[Dragonchess Player]

Fair enough.

I hadn't followed those events.

[ShinHakkaider]

keftiu wrote:

I only know Ernie Gygax from when he got sued a few years ago for snapping up the Star Frontiers trademark when it lapsed, trying to publish a book stuffed full of such charming things as mechanically-superior 'Aryan' humans and mechanically-inferior Black humans, complete with a cap on the latter's maximum intelligence. His racist and transphobic public comments while that was in the limelight did not endear me to him much.

You'll forgive me if I don't mourn the man.

THIS PART.

[RadiantSophia]

keftiu wrote:

I only know Ernie Gygax from when he got sued a few years ago for snapping up the Star Frontiers trademark when it lapsed, trying to publish a book stuffed full of such charming things as mechanically-superior 'Aryan' humans and mechanically-inferior Black humans, complete with a cap on the latter's maximum intelligence. His racist and transphobic public comments while that was in the limelight did not endear me to him much.

You'll forgive me if I don't mourn the man.

After following your links to other links to other links to other....

Holy f$%^! I, quite literally, had no idea of the extent of this social cancer.