D & D Dungeons are a little darker today

Innoc · 03-04-2008, 07:24 PM

Dungeons & Dragons Co-Creator Dies at 69

Quote:

MILWAUKEE (AP) - Gary Gygax, who co-created the fantasy game Dungeons & Dragons and helped start the role-playing phenomenon, died Tuesday morning at his home in Lake Geneva. He was 69.

He had been suffering from health problems for several years, including an abdominal aneurysm, said his wife, Gail Gygax.

Gygax and Dave Arneson developed Dungeons & Dragons in 1974 using medieval characters and mythical creatures. The game known for its oddly shaped dice became a hit, particularly among teenage boys, and eventually was turned into video games, books and movies.

Gygax always enjoyed hearing from the game's legion of devoted fans, many of whom would stop by the family's home in Lake Geneva, about 55 miles southwest of Milwaukee, his wife said. Despite his declining health, he hosted weekly games of Dungeons & Dragons as recently as January, she said.

"It really meant a lot to him to hear from people from over the years about how he helped them become a doctor, a lawyer, a policeman, what he gave them," Gygax said. "He really enjoyed that."

Dungeons & Dragons players create fictional characters and carry out their adventures with the help of complicated rules. The quintessential geek pastime, it spawned a wealth of copycat games and later inspired a whole genre of computer games that's still growing in popularity.

Funeral arrangements are pending. Besides his wife, Gygax is survived by six children.

Wow...I think I actually have my well worn D&D 1st and/or 2nd Edition books around here somewhere...I played in middle and high school and a little in Military Tech School...

YomMamasHouse · 03-04-2008, 07:33 PM

Anyone here a high enough level to cast ressurect?

puppychow · 03-04-2008, 08:02 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by YomMamasHouse

Anyone here a high enough level to cast ressurect?

lol...

innoc, you just beat me. Circ is somewhere sheading a silent tear.

Iggy · 03-04-2008, 09:31 PM

Wait....I was under the impression he died years ago.

Circuitous · 03-04-2008, 09:34 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by puppychow

lol...

innoc, you just beat me. Circ is somewhere sheading a silent tear.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Iggy

Wait....I was under the impression he died years ago.

Nope... he was actually submitting regular articles to Dragon magazine ("Up on a Soapbox" I believe) wherein he spoke of the first ever D&D adventures (where Mordenkainen, Bigby, etc. were player characters!) and some of the design decisions he had to make, and how they influenced the then-new 3.5 Edition.

It sucks that he won't get to see 4th Edition widely-played. Very sad news.

Iggy · 03-04-2008, 09:37 PM

I never got passed 1st edition. I thought it was getting too complicated to be fun.

Circuitous · 03-04-2008, 09:39 PM

No jive. 4e is looking to greatly simplify things, should be interesting.

AD&D was just ridiculous though.

Innoc · 03-04-2008, 09:43 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Circuitous

No jive. 4e is looking to greatly simplify things, should be interesting.

AD&D was just ridiculous though.

AD&D is what I actually have. Now that you mention it I remember there was a split between the two.

BTW, on another forum on which I posted this news someone asked, upon reading that Gygax died replied.

"Did he drop any loot?"

YomMamasHouse · 03-04-2008, 09:46 PM

I play AD&D, anything later is too simple and the heroes are too strong. My DM frequently brings us to points of near death but we manage to make it out with one or two people conscious.

Circuitous · 03-04-2008, 09:51 PM

The heroes being too strong is a DM fault more than a game fault, really. There are countless "grim 'n gritty" rules and variants you can use if you're into that sort of thing - I'm not, so I don't bother with them myself, but they're definitely there.

AD&D is just... christ. I have long believed that the primary reason more AD&D players didn't pick up 3e is that they don't have any memory left to spend on it.

Tables and tables and tables and tables and tables and pain.

Still, if AD&D works for you and your group you've got no reason to switch at all.

FrenchToast · 03-04-2008, 09:58 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by YomMamasHouse

I play AD&D, anything later is too simple and the heroes are too strong. My DM frequently brings us to points of near death but we manage to make it out with one or two people conscious.

Speaking of which, we need to start nagging my bro big time so we can put something together, yar?

YomMamasHouse · 03-04-2008, 10:04 PM

yar.

Circuitous · 03-04-2008, 10:26 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by My Brother

Dammit, why did it have to be natural causes? Now we can't Wish him back!

YomMamasHouse · 03-04-2008, 10:36 PM

We need a grand list of all possible DND related jokes to make when someone dies.

Circuitous · 03-04-2008, 10:56 PM

Penny Arcade had this.

Most of the other jokes require knowing his encounter level.

Iggy · 03-04-2008, 11:43 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Circuitous

No jive. 4e is looking to greatly simplify things, should be interesting.

AD&D was just ridiculous though.

Sorry, I meant AD&D first edition...I still have all of my books, too. I have a few of my original D&D books, but not a lot.
We used to play for entire weekends of AD&D. I dunno about trying another edition....especially now that Gygax won't be an influence on it. Dammit, I set up my Amiga 500 the other day, but the floppy drive needs attention. Otherwise, I would play some AD&D on it(Champions of Krynn, etc...)

Credge · 03-04-2008, 11:45 PM

.

Can I have his stuff?

FrenchToast · 03-04-2008, 11:51 PM

If he was in a car accident or something you could make a Spot Check joke.

qwertyuiop · 03-05-2008, 12:19 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by FrenchToast

Speaking of which, we need to start nagging my bro big time so we can put something together, yar?

Another yar.

Circuitous · 03-05-2008, 01:04 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by FrenchToast

If he was in a car accident or something you could make a Spot Check joke.

We can still make Fortitude Save comments.

I wonder what the DC for an abdominal aneurysm is...

03-04-2008, 09:39 PM	#7
Circuitous Useless Retired FF Staff Join Date: Jun 2005 Class/Position: D Soldier, O Scout Gametype: AvD Posts Rated Helpful 9 Times	No jive. 4e is looking to greatly simplify things, should be interesting. AD&D was just ridiculous though. __________________ Look at all those dead links.

03-04-2008, 09:51 PM	#10
Circuitous Useless Retired FF Staff Join Date: Jun 2005 Class/Position: D Soldier, O Scout Gametype: AvD Posts Rated Helpful 9 Times	The heroes being too strong is a DM fault more than a game fault, really. There are countless "grim 'n gritty" rules and variants you can use if you're into that sort of thing - I'm not, so I don't bother with them myself, but they're definitely there. AD&D is just... christ. I have long believed that the primary reason more AD&D players didn't pick up 3e is that they don't have any memory left to spend on it. Tables and tables and tables and tables and tables and pain. Still, if AD&D works for you and your group you've got no reason to switch at all. __________________ Look at all those dead links.

03-04-2008, 10:56 PM	#15
Circuitous Useless Retired FF Staff Join Date: Jun 2005 Class/Position: D Soldier, O Scout Gametype: AvD Posts Rated Helpful 9 Times	Penny Arcade had this. Most of the other jokes require knowing his encounter level. __________________ Look at all those dead links.

03-04-2008, 11:45 PM	#17
Credge FF Loremaster Beta Tester Join Date: Sep 2007 Posts Rated Helpful 4 Times	. Can I have his stuff? __________________ "The nine most terrifying words in the English language are: 'I'm from the government and I'm here to help.'" Ronald Reagan

03-04-2008, 11:51 PM	#18
FrenchToast The 1337est D&A Member Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: Omagosh Canada. Posts Rated Helpful 9 Times	If he was in a car accident or something you could make a Spot Check joke. __________________ James, while John had had 'had', had had 'had had' ; 'had had' had had a better effect on the teacher.

03-04-2008, 07:33 PM	#2
YomMamasHouse Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: Your Mom's House Posts Rated Helpful 2 Times	Anyone here a high enough level to cast ressurect?

03-04-2008, 09:46 PM	#9
YomMamasHouse Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: Your Mom's House Posts Rated Helpful 2 Times	I play AD&D, anything later is too simple and the heroes are too strong. My DM frequently brings us to points of near death but we manage to make it out with one or two people conscious.

03-04-2008, 10:04 PM	#12
YomMamasHouse Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: Your Mom's House Posts Rated Helpful 2 Times	yar.

03-04-2008, 10:36 PM	#14
YomMamasHouse Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: Your Mom's House Posts Rated Helpful 2 Times	We need a grand list of all possible DND related jokes to make when someone dies.

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