claidheamhmor: (Conan)
claidheamhmor ([personal profile] claidheamhmor) wrote2008-03-06 01:50 pm
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Gygax gone. 1938-2008

Last night at D&D, we toasted Gary Gygax for making it possible for all of us to be there.

I first started playing D&D back in 1983, using the red book Basic D&D set; my parents had brought it back from the UK for me. I involved classmates at boarding school, and on holiday, friends of my father. My grandmother went overseas, and brought back from me all the original AD&D rulebooks, plus 20 or so modules, and 13 boxes of miniatures; I started in the World of Greyhawk, Gygax's creation, and loved it. When I went to university, I played with other students, and friends and I played too. I've been playing D&D virtually continuously for a quarter of a century.

I've made many friends through D&D, many of whom are still good friends, and many I still keep in contact with. In many ways, I owe my friendships with [livejournal.com profile] greywand, [livejournal.com profile] ereneth, [livejournal.com profile] ihlanya, [livejournal.com profile] fsnut, and [livejournal.com profile] ticktock_za to D&D, not to mention friends I may have met through LJ, but stay in contact with because of D&D.

Years and heaps of my money, have been dedicated to D&D. It's fair to say that my whole life has been changed by D&D. All of that is because of a man named Gary Gygax.

I think this cat says it well:


Fare thee well, Gary, and thank you.

[identity profile] windrider-09.livejournal.com 2008-03-06 01:32 pm (UTC)(link)
I was also very sad that he died:(

I have been roleplaying for about 10 years now with a lot of money having gone to the books and roleplaying session (catering mainly)

[identity profile] fireheart1974.livejournal.com 2008-03-06 02:47 pm (UTC)(link)
Years and heaps of my money, have been dedicated to D&D.

Agree!
~T

[identity profile] ereneth.livejournal.com 2008-03-06 04:19 pm (UTC)(link)
Amen.

May his rolls always be good.

[identity profile] openmindedmale.livejournal.com 2008-03-06 05:23 pm (UTC)(link)
Yeah, the news hit me hard. He's been an influence in my life since 1979 (AD&D), and has affected my life in so many ways.

Through gaming, we keep his spirit alive, and share in a legacy that has inspired millions of people.

He leaves the world a better place than he found it, and he knew that. He will be remembered.

RIP Gary.

[identity profile] musicalchaos.livejournal.com 2008-03-06 07:12 pm (UTC)(link)
Amusingly enough, last night was also my gaming night, and despite the majority of us being either underage (about half the group) or non-drinkers (the other half), those of us who could, still went for a toast in his honor before beginning.

I have to admit, one of the hardest things about his death has actually been reading many people's stories about how his creations, and he himself, changed their lives. It just serves to drive home how wonderful of a person we lost.

[identity profile] pcb.livejournal.com 2008-03-06 08:59 pm (UTC)(link)
Funny, my 'friends' that I got to play D&D eventually took the piss out of my interest, 'borrowed' my whole set of dice and World of Greyhawk and could never be bothered to find or return them, even when asked.
Shame about GG. He gave us a lot of entertainment.

I still wonder about that priest I stumbled across on the internet who reckoned playing D&D counted as worshipping false gods, or something, though.
It's a GAME!