D&D creator dies

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/7278927.stm

The question is how can we stop him turning undead? Anyway, you'd have thought he'd keep a scroll of resurrection handy.

I first played D&D when I was about 8, so like in 1983, when it was in that big red A4 book. I was instantly hooked. Somehow though, I don't think it would hold many modern kids' attention what with all the modern computer games now available.

[EDIT] Some more info:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/magazine/7280969.stm

*lol* :O)

Influenced so many but honestly we were playing Midgard much more...

I've never played a traditional pen'n'paper RPG but I've always wanted to. No one I know has ever been into stuff like that. I reckon I'm too old for all that now, though. I'd just feel faintly embarrassed.

It was good at the time, but it's better off in games now imho.

Slightly off topic but years ago the job centre, in their wisdom, sent me for a job interview in a games shop.

When I arrived for the interview I went no further than the door, after seeing a shop full of grown adults, playing with small model soldiers and goblins and suchlike. Felt like telling them all there was a job available and they should all get themselves one, and maybe a life to go with it.

The shop was Games Workshop - I'd never heard of it prior to that.

haha :-)

Never played the board game but I did love the 80's cartoon.

i never got into pen and paper D&D either
nowadays its fully implemented or to a vast estent into pc games so the lure isnt there

like i said on the space hulk board/pc game thread
i couldnt get into table top gaming as such but the fully compatible rules ported to pc and not just a "space marine FPS" means i get a chance to see what i kinda missed.

it's a sad day :( but I use to play this back when I was a kid. I never got into the whole dressing up bit

I got my start with Chainmail then moved to D&D. Gary Gygax remains a hero.

I have played the more recent and cut down 'board game'. This is basically a remake of heroes quest it seems.

It is a lot of fun, and a lot more fun with a group of friends all playing this than a computer game.

His name reminds me of a really crap ventriloquist trying to say "Barry Bybax" :/

Gygax sounds like a pretty nasty D&D monster!

I remember walking into a Games Wrokshop, thinking, "Excellent, a new game....what the hell..."

As Gfk says, grown men playing with wee plastic figures and painting stuff...

Scary stuff!

I sent this email around the office today:

One guy, a WOW player, almost choked on the paper clip he was chewing on when he read it. Other stood up from their cubicle and ask if I was on drugs lol...

I guess he failed his saving throw.

(too soon, too soon...)

Tis sad. I played D & D way back around 1978, before the first hard-bound manuals. My brother and I would set up elaborate miniature battles in the living room and my mom would be pissed. Good times.

edit: looked at the article... the books in the picture were the ones I had!

The article doesn't mention his awesome work on Chainmail which predated D&D :c(

lol, I thought Dungeons and Dragons was a brilliant game. But you do have to have the right bunch of players. Ones with imagination that can improvise and work together to spin a good story. It's kind of like group story writing. Seems to be quite a popular way to start a novel too.

Too many people watch movies and TV these days, not so many read. Makes it hard to find people to play with. Much better than any computer game when done right.

I never did get into the minatures much, or other RPG's like warhammer. I made up my own version of D&D based on Elite which I used to play with my mates. We built a camp in the garage rafters and used to sit up there and play hehe.

He'll get a Rez .. never fear.. :)

RIP
Gary

Garion

Poor Mr. Gygax. He was a very creative guy and I have a lot of respect for what he did. I wish I could create a game that would basically define an industry.

I used to play D&D occasionally up until just a few years ago. When I realized that I was just playing because I enjoyed hanging out with my friends, drinking beer and eating pizza, I decided to skip the gaming and go straight to the beer and pizza. That said, I still hang onto a few of my books in case we get the urge to play again.

I played a bit of D&D when I was a kid.



That's from Penny Arcade.

But I preferred the Fark headline:
"Gary Gygax fails saving throw vs death."

/pours a mead out...


What? Mead is nasty!

I've played pen-and-paper fantasy/war/cyberpunk RPGs a lot (although never D&D) and even painted and played those pitiful Warhammer™ & WH40K™ Games Workshop miniature games... yes, I'm a gamehead and proud about it.

The thing is that I enjoyed gaming WAY more those days than with todays computer/console games. Those days gaming was a social event with few good friends, pizza and occasional beer (no wife & kids...!). We even laughed and had fun!

Today it's just you/me in a dark room playing "online multiplayers"... and calling those social events would just underline the decay of gaming. It's gone from using your brain to understand the rules and imagine the action (which mostly wasn't about killing someone) and setting to grim reaction test killing-spree. Where's the fun and true use of your brain & imagination?

I wonder if those old books in the article are worth any money to collectors?

Back in my day they were lead and I had to paint them myself. The pre-painted ones were too expensive for me.

The hours I lost playing this at school during lunch in the library (and round friends after school). Fond memories!!!

Some more info:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/magazine/7280969.stm

http://xkcd.com/393/

I also remember those pen&paper roleplaying days as a very enjoyable time of my life. It already was fun to prepare all the stuff you needed for such an evening/night/weekend. Getting the right junk food, preparing your characters, getting to the place the gaming session takes place, talking to each other about this and that and then obviously the gaming session itself. As Mustang said, it was a social event.

As written before we mostly played Midgard which is a much nicer system in my opinion as it's easier and more flexible and comes down to the most important part, the story. Makes me thinking of how i bought my dices, were you always tried to get out if the ones you're buying are good ones or bad ones...

I guess if you're really after it you could still find people in your town and keep on adventuring but it mostly happend during when we were students as you were just totally free to decide what to do when to do it.

Computer games are easier to consume as they are available when you need them, unlike with humans you can just turn them off if something comes in between and so on. Maybe like sex robots in the future...

Happy adventuring!

A Shame. Modern gaming has a lot to thank him for.

(respectful LOL! @ rolling in his grave :)

Good find Mark.

Anyone got any weblink on how the rules of D&D are played, and how it translate to PC gaming?

check out http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/D20_system (There is a link to their site in there that explains the rules.)

This is one of many but has been used a fair bit in games. It has an open licence as far as i know, do a google on it.

Thanks Dan, also there more information on http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=d20/article/srd35

Reading through, never played the dungeon and dragons, just watched the cartoons :)

whats the difference between playing a games workshop game and playing video games, not much really.

Those were the days....

I loved those weird ass dice. Also D&D is where I learnt that you have a single "die" and many "dice".

I also made up my own system and constructed a load of rule books and maps and stuff. Anyone else do that? Naturally I programmed character generators and even shops on my computers too.

I tried my hand at pen and paper RPG's... its available on my website, but I think I'm the only one thats ever seen it. I also made a map generator so you can make maps on the computer.

I would imagine it would be fun if I could find people to play with, these kinds of things usually are.

I compressed the D20 system into a single 6 sided dice for availability and simplicity. If you enjoy these things, it may be worth a look. Its called "Legends of Arthonia."

You can download it here.
If you have feed back, the e-mail is contact(AT)dungeonsoffear(DOT)com.

R.I.P. Gary

Rob:
Are those D&D creator dice?