Critical Hit... R.I.P. Gary Gygax

Word filtered down through the geek channels today - before the news media picked up on it - that Gary Gygax had passed away.  For the non-geeks out there, Gary was co-creator of a little thing called Dungeons & Dragons.

As it was for many gamers, D&D was my very first introduction to the world of Role-Playing Games.  In my case, I stumbled upon it quite by accident.  I’d like to think that I would’ve discovered it, eventually, but who knows?

And when I think of just how much enjoyment RPGs have brought me over the years… from my D&D games in college to the GURPS sessions in later years, and even a return to D&D recently…  not to mention my obsession with online RPG, City of Heroes… well, I can’t help but hold Mr. Gygax in high regard.

Hearing of his passing, today, was a shock.  No, I didn’t think of him often, nor had I ever met the guy.  But geez… his contribution to the gaming world certainly had a profound effect on me.  My first published novel, in fact, was based directly on my D&D sessions in the year or two of playing the game.

Discovering D&D was nothing short of amazing for me.  As a kid, I loved games.  Board games, card games, etc.  Video games, too, but back then, that meant going to an arcade for most of us.  And then… a casual friend introduced me to D&D.  And everything was different.  Role-playing games are the most creative games out there, and really appealed to me.  D&D became an obsession, almost.  Certainly, a lot of our free time was spent playing it.  Or talking about it.  Or reading about it.

My poor dad… he had no clue.  He didn’t understand this game.  All he saw were a bunch of teenagers sitting around his dining room table, talking, laughing, eating pizza, and rolling a bunch of dice.  But nothing really seemed to be happening.  “How do you win?” he’d ask me.  “Well, you don’t, exactly,” I’d say.  “It’s kinda like life.  You just play it and try to make the best of it.”

Thanks, Gary, for adding so much richness to my life, and for helping me make the best of it, in some small way.