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    Canonfire :: View topic - R.I.P Gary Gygax
    Canonfire Forum Index -> World of Greyhawk Discussion
    R.I.P Gary Gygax
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    Apprentice Greytalker

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    Tue Mar 04, 2008 8:26 am  
    R.I.P Gary Gygax

    http://www.freeyabb.com/phpbb/viewtopic.php?t=4373&mforum=trolllordgames

    Godspeed, Gary. We'll all miss you. Sad
    Apprentice Greytalker

    Joined: Jan 29, 2008
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    From: Pendleton, IN

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    Tue Mar 04, 2008 8:55 am  

    I'm in tears. Type later.
    CF Admin

    Joined: Jan 09, 2004
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    From: Stansbury Park, Utah

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    Tue Mar 04, 2008 9:04 am  
    So Long, Old Friend...

    Thorvald wrote:
    Godspeed, Gary. We'll all miss you.

    Indeed, Godspeed, Mr. Gygax. Thanks for bringing the only game in my life that constantly sent me to the dictionary. And, thanks for a game that has brought me countless good times over the last twenty-four years. From my hometown of Salt Lake City, Utah, to military barracks as far away as Doha, Kuwait, D&D has been a big part of my leisure time.

    So long, old friend. My family sends our love and condolences to the Gygax family.

    Don (Greyson)
    Nyrond Triad
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    Tue Mar 04, 2008 9:13 am  

    Terrible news. Sad
    Apprentice Greytalker

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    Tue Mar 04, 2008 9:58 am  

    Truly sad news. He touched so many lives and created a whole new form of creative entertainment. I would not have the knowledge of history nor would I have the creativity which has served me so well in every day life if not for him.
    Novice

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    Tue Mar 04, 2008 10:00 am  

    Hearing of anyone's death is sad news, even if it is someone whom you've never met... I've been following D&D since a teen (I'm 40 now!).

    I'd like to of met the father of RPGs but it never happened. I'd like to say thank you to Gary for his imagination sparked my own and that of many friends and family who enjoyed D&D throughout the decades.

    His passion made the trek for many others much easier and for that I believe we are all grateful.

    Best wishes to his family, friends and colleagues who knew him best.

    Farewell sir and thank you again.
    Apprentice Greytalker

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    From: St.Louis, Missouri USA

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    Tue Mar 04, 2008 10:29 am  

    Truely sad news.

    It is hard to have to say goodbye to someone who brought so much to my life from my teenage years to the current day. Through Gary's imagination and work my world was opened up to new friends, worlds I would have never seen, and so much enjoyment.

    Thank you Gary.

    May you rest peacefully.
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    Tue Mar 04, 2008 10:50 am  

    I'm running the module: Keep on the Borderlands, authored by Gygax, in my current campaign. Great module, GREAT GAME, good times. Thanks for all of it, Gary.
    Apprentice Greytalker

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    Tue Mar 04, 2008 10:50 am  

    What a shock! Sad news indeed. We'll miss you Mr Gygax, rest in peace.
    Black Hand of Oblivion

    Joined: Feb 16, 2003
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    Tue Mar 04, 2008 11:08 am  

    And so, at the last, Xagyg has ascended.

    We will miss him here, but Gary he has begun a new adventure.

    My condolences to the Gygax family and those who were close to Gary.
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    Novice

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    Tue Mar 04, 2008 11:42 am  

    My condolences and prayers go out to all Gary's family and friends.

    It is difficult to put into words how much D&D meant to me as a young kid constantly on the move in the late seventies and early eighties. Much like Greyson, I've played all over (though admittedly not in Kuwait) and it was always wonderful to move to a new place and find people who played the game. It was an excellent way to meet a bunch of creative, bright, and (nearly always) good souls in my new town/school. Now, as a school teacher myself, I try to pass on the fun of gaming (D&D in particular) to share that gift Gary so kindly gave me once upon a time. Thanks for all you did for us Gary.
    Journeyman Greytalker

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    Tue Mar 04, 2008 11:44 am  

    Truly sad news.

    Go in peace Gary.
    Master Greytalker

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    Tue Mar 04, 2008 11:45 am  

    Upon waking up this afternoon, I usually turn Canonfire on to read the latest and worthy news and conversations of my beloved Greyhawk friends. Much to my regret this afternoon has finally brought the day I knew would eventually come.

    To the family of Mr. Gygax, I send my sincere condolences. My prayers and support are with you.

    To Mr. Gary Gygax:
    I would like to take this moment to thank you for your time, imagination, education, and commitment to creating a new hobby and making it available to everyone throughout the world. Your interests matched by your dedication has given us the Dungeons and Dragons game which has spurred the imaginations of millions. For some, it was a way to pass the time. For others, it has shaped their lives either as hobbists or by career. Your wit, vocabulary, imagination, writing skill, and love for the game has helped me grow into the person I've become. I say this with all heart felt meaning...."I will forever miss you and sincerely hope that eventually the day will come when we meet. I just wanted to shake your hand, give you a hug, and say Thanks!". God bless you, God take care of you. Thank you Lord for giving us a good man. Take Care Mr. Gary Gygax; you will be greatly missed, never forgotten, and forever loved.
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    Tue Mar 04, 2008 11:53 am  

    My thoughts go out to his family and friends.

    Whatever your feelings about Gary for good or ill, this man along with a few others ushered in a hobby that has brought so many together.

    But, it was his game world, The World of Greyhawk, that binds us together here. Not only did he give us a large canvas on which to paint our own adventures, he provided the gaming touchstone that gathers us together daily. I can think of no better living memorial.

    And for that alone we owe you a debt, rest in peace Gary.

    Bryan Blumklotz
    AKA Saracenus


    Last edited by Saracenus on Tue Mar 04, 2008 1:10 pm; edited 1 time in total
    Journeyman Greytalker

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    Tue Mar 04, 2008 12:30 pm  

    It seems funny and ironic that Gary should pass on to the next plane on GM's Day. How fitting.

    Thanks to one of the first GMs ever.

    Respects.
    Apprentice Greytalker

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    Tue Mar 04, 2008 1:22 pm  
    Good Journey, Mr. Gygax!

    Thanks for giving us a gift that not only challenged us to think and to grow in so many ways, but also crossed societal and political boundaries with an ease that politics and religion only wish they could duplicate. May this journey be as rewarding as the last!
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    Tue Mar 04, 2008 1:49 pm  

    Words fail me... my chest aches at the loss...


    AncientGamer Sad
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    </a>AncientGamer aka BusterBudd
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    Tue Mar 04, 2008 1:55 pm  

    More than 20 years have passed since I started playing Dungeons & Dragons. They've been 20+ years of pure fun. For that, thank you Gary Gygax!

    Saludos,
    Gabriel
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    Tue Mar 04, 2008 2:18 pm  

    For anyone who has ever subscribed to a great gamer magazine, KotDT, I believe this eulogy is aptly applied here...


    The Empty Chair
    Eulogy for a Gamer

    There is an empty chair,
    at the table this day.
    A hallowed place where,
    a friend once played.
    The roll of his dice,
    my ears long to hear.
    Or perhaps it would suffice,
    if he should suddenly appear.
    With character sheet in hand,
    and a bag of Cheeze-doodles to share.
    All his friends would stand,
    as he sat in the empty chair.
    I hear his voice a-callin',
    and it ties my heart in a knot.
    For he cries, "Though a comrade has fallen,
    You must play for those who cannot."
    We conquered worlds on the run,
    he and I in the name of fun.
    And as others may come and go,
    I make both both friend and foe.
    But what I long for most,
    is our past now long a ghost.


    Rest in Peace Gary.
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    </a>AncientGamer aka BusterBudd
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    Tue Mar 04, 2008 3:51 pm  


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    Tue Mar 04, 2008 4:27 pm  

    A fine and fitting eulogy BusterBudd.

    To all his family, friends and admirers; my condolences and heartfelt gratitude.

    He will be sorely missed.
    Apprentice Greytalker

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    Tue Mar 04, 2008 4:50 pm  

    Hiya

    Now that I can type and see the monitor (too much cryin'), I honestly have no words for how sad I am. All I can say is, thanks Gary! Almost 30 years ago I started on this wild ride, and haven't looked back!

    You know someone is special when his death causes 30 - 40+ year old grown men who've never personally met them, to break down and cry like a baby.
    :(

    R.I.P., Gary, you will be missed, but never forgotten.

    Paul L. Ming
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    Joined: Aug 16, 2001
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    Tue Mar 04, 2008 5:20 pm  

    Rest in Peace Gary.
    You brought many years of dreaming about worlds far away to me.

    Andrew Seale
    Fallon
    The Wandering Ranger/Sage of the Vesve Forest
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    Tue Mar 04, 2008 5:43 pm  

    Goodbye, old friend. Sad
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    Tue Mar 04, 2008 6:22 pm  
    In Memory Of...

    I don't generally write eulogies, but I felt the need to write something about this.

    I am not the most die hard fan of D&D, but I am a great fan of scifi and fantasy literature, and any number of games or movies that have in part been inspired by what this guy labored to create. For me personally, there are other reasons to stop a moment at his passing, and say a few appropriate words.

    At the time that I stumbled upon the game, I was a very disaffected teenager with very little in the way of trust or affection for other people. I preferred books, because they were rarely fickle or unkind. In the instant that I found a place at a cardboard table with four other kids my age, I found a level of comfort around other people that I had never had, and began to socialize in a normal way for the first time since I was very small. The profundity of that is easy to underestimate.

    Second, D&D games tend to draw on classical mythology and literature, and require (or quickly help you to build) a considerable word knowledge. I was always a reader, but by the time I was fifteen, my language skills tested at the college post-graduate level. My passion for words had a part of its birth there.

    And finally, the love of telling a story, first as a gamemaster on occasion, and then as a writer, is closely linked to creating a world into which other people could delve, always wondering what mystery I had placed around the corner.

    My life has been overwhelmingly enriched, and populated with an array of friends that I utterly treasure, all because of a few guys who had a notion and ran with it more than three decades ago.

    Thank you, Gary. I wish you a most peaceful and gentle rest. Whatever some may have thought, you brought a lot of good things into the world, and nudged a great many of us to create in our own way, and on our own terms. Farewell...with love, MH
    Novice

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    Tue Mar 04, 2008 6:42 pm  

    Like a lot of people here at Canonfire!, I've been playing D&D, and Greyhawk for 20+ years. I just want to thank Mr. Gygax for creating something that has been a huge part of my life and the lives of many of my friends! Today is the day we mourn our loss. Gary is in a better place now, playing D&D with the ultimate DM! Thanks for everything Gary! You will be missed!
    Apprentice Greytalker

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    Tue Mar 04, 2008 7:59 pm  
    Gary Gygax

    Short on Words... Pretty much all had been said here about Gary Gygax. How he lighted our way and our lives by the huge work he created and so on. Yeah, 'tis strange to mourn for someone we never met but with whom we played for so many years.

    For all this and much, much more, thank you Mr Gygax...
    Journeyman Greytalker

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    Tue Mar 04, 2008 8:15 pm  

    To Mr. Gygax’s friends and family from my wife, my gaming group and myself: my deepest condolences and my heartfelt respects.

    And to Gary himself? Without you and your world, our lives would be so much poorer. The friends we have made as players, as DMs and as fans of Greyhawk… The times we have shared in fun and laughter. Nothing can repay you for the legacy of your creation.

    Thank you Mr. Gygax, with all our hearts. You will be deeply missed.

    Brian S. Dougherty
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    Tue Mar 04, 2008 8:19 pm  
    A toast to E.G.G.

    First, I wanted to post a link. NPR did an awesome rememberence on All Things Considered. Link follows: http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=87901434

    Second, I would propose that all gamers everywhere at your next game session, raise a toast to E. Gary Gygax. Nothing extravagant, just a moment to remember the man who brought role playing into the mainstream and to the masses. "To the creator of DnD, I salute you." If I knew his family or any close friends, I would be offering condolences to them. As I don't I can only state my heartfelt appreciation for his devotion to the hobby.
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    Tue Mar 04, 2008 8:25 pm  

    To the Gygax family I would like to convey my deepest sympathies over Gary's passing. Gary left all of us a world of enchantment, wonder, imagination and the magic of friendships made around the gaming table.

    To me, a 13 year old boy/teen in the early 80's, I remember how thrilled I was to first obtain the Greyhawk setting and how I hung onto every word he wrote about that setting. He truly created a new world for all of us. Some 25 years later, I still read the words Gary wrote back then and they continue to impact me with undiminished force.

    In many ways, all of us gamers owe Gary a debt that we can never truly repay. What we can do is carry his noble spirit forward so that whenever roleplaying games are played, whenever the dice are rolled, whenever friends share the joy and camaderie of this wonderful pastime that Gary gave to all of us, rest assured, he lives still!

    Godspeed dear friend and I am sure there is a special place in heaven prepared for you where the adventures never cease, the dice always roll well, and you abide in everlasting love and peace.

    Peter Landry
    a.k.a. Chameleon
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    Tue Mar 04, 2008 10:53 pm  

    My condolences.

    And thank you, Master Gygax, I've learned english reading the Ad&D books.
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    Wed Mar 05, 2008 12:13 am  
    From Greyhawk

    -Throughout the Realm of Greyhawk..every being that exist there...feels a unexplained sadness, and in that moment...pauses to acknowledge the passing of a greatness not known immediately to them personally. But it feels related none the less.

    It will last for quite a while...then later, all previous actions or journeys are continued.

    Only one will speak...and the words are spoken with deep respect.-


    "We are diminished...by one"
    Nerull.



    Sad Sad Sad Sad Sad
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    From: Wollongong, Australia

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    Wed Mar 05, 2008 12:33 am  

    I have only just learned of the news 10 minutes ago. A very very sad day for all of keeping the dream alive, and the love for Gary and his work strong. Since I have learned the news the WoTC website has a black and white tribute Sad Perhaps a dedication is in order?

    I am in shock. It in only in the last year or so I have heard of his health problems but he had been upbeat about it. In spite of that I was concerned and now that the day has come I am finding myself not prepared.

    Group hug Hawkers!
    Master Greytalker

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    Wed Mar 05, 2008 4:26 am  

    Heartfelt condolences to all of Gary's family and friends.

    I never met the man, but he has given me and my gaming group a wonderful game, and world, to explore for over 25 years. I discovered a lot about the World of Greyhawk. I discovered a lot about the real world. I discovered a lot about myself and my friends-sometimes more than I wanted to.

    To Gary; we will continue to carry the torch for Greyhawk, we will bear it proudly and always strive to do it justice through our works.

    Many thanks.

    Shocked Sad Laughing
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    Wed Mar 05, 2008 6:20 am  

    Fellow 'Hawkers,

    It's been a very sad time, losing my friend and mentor, Gary Gygax. I'd been working for Gary almost 2.5 years now, and in that time, talking almost every day, we became good pals. We would talk about more than just gaming stuff. We'd talk family, argue about sports, hell we even argued about how to make a good martini. He was a very kind man and provided me opportunities that I will always be grateful for. He took me under his wing and taught me how to write a fun adventure. Gary was not just my boss and boyhood idol, but a good friend as well, and I'm going to miss his wit and candor immensely.

    --Jeffrey Talanian
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    Wed Mar 05, 2008 8:36 am  

    Hey Sad
    I just heard. R.I.P. Gary.

    I've played since chainmail, and Gary Gygax made it possible.
    Thank you all for your moving rememberances. Non gamers just can't get it. I can't believe how sad I am.
    Apprentice Greytalker

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    Wed Mar 05, 2008 8:56 am  
    Re: A toast to E.G.G.

    MikelAmroni wrote:
    Second, I would propose that all gamers everywhere at your next game session, raise a toast to E. Gary Gygax.


    A toast sounds like a great idea. Also in honor of EGG, I'm putting aside the EttRG campaign aside for a week and running my group through the Tomb of Horrors. Old-school. 3d6 in order. With the old 1e books.

    I can't think of a better way to honor the man who gave us this great sandbox to play in.

    I never had the honor and privilige of meeting him in person, but from everything I've heard, he was one of us. He wasn't just some guy who was in it for the money -- he was a 100%, dyed-in-the-wool gamer.

    He's gonna be missed.
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    Wed Mar 05, 2008 9:22 am  

    manicmidwife wrote:
    Since I have learned the news the WoTC website has a black and white tribute Sad Perhaps a dedication is in order?
    Group hug Hawkers!


    Scott Rouse announced yesterday that the 4e core books would all bear dedications to EGG. He made sure that was going within hours of hearing of Gygax' passing.

    And in a time like this, I'd gladly return the group hug.
    Grandmaster Greytalker

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    Wed Mar 05, 2008 3:56 pm  

    My fondest D&D memory from my early years of playing isn't the monsters my characters slew or the treasures they won, or laughing at their ridiculous and (often funny) deaths, but it's the handwritten note I got from Gary when I was 14 in response to a rules question I had written him about. That he took the time to answer some dumb kid pretty much sums it up for me.

    He was lucky enough to have written his own obituary in an interview for Gamespy -

    "I would like the world to remember me as the guy who really enjoyed playing games and sharing his knowledge and his fun pastimes with everybody else."

    And that's just the way I'm going to remember him. Goodbye Gary, and thanks for all the fun. Sad
    Apprentice Greytalker

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    Wed Mar 05, 2008 7:14 pm  

    Sad

    I barely received word about Mr. Gygax's passing last night at the gaming table. I play in a Tuesday night Eberron game with co-workers and friends. My jaw dropped and I gasped when our cleric broke the news.

    Years ago Gary was nice enough to email me back concerning how displeased I was at the time with 3.0's delivery of D&D back then. He reassured me all was well and that I should try it regardless, and yet urged me to run another campaign using GURPS if I wanted to. I got to see just how genuinely open minded the creator of D&D was.

    I had always admired his world of Greyhawk, and it is still my world of choice.

    I feel saddened by our loss in not just the community but the world. I want to send my condolences to Gary's family, as I feel I had known him even though we never met in person.

    Mr. Gygax, thank you for over 30 years of D&D of which 26 years I got to enjoy. I have had such a wonderful hobby for all this time and so much fun even though my life has been anything but most times.
    Confused I have been kind of sad yet greatly inspired by your passing, its as if your spirit is talking to all of us, saying "keep playing, but have fun most of all." My next campaign will be greyhawk for certain, and it will start with the Keep on the Borderlands. I hope sometime in your travels on your new Lejendary Adventure you encounter two very good D&D friends of mine that have passed, my friend Ken and my mother Cathryne. May you be blessed by the big guy and I hope to meet you one day when my time comes.

    Your fan,

    Jim Pierson "soft-paws"
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    Wed Mar 05, 2008 9:17 pm  

    Rest in Peace Mr. Gygax...

    I believe that imagination is stronger than knowledge --
    Myth is more potent than history --
    Dreams are more powerful than facts --
    Hope always triumphs over experience --
    Laughter is the cure for grief --
    Love is stronger than death.

    Robert Fulghum~
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    Wed Mar 05, 2008 10:13 pm  

    A true shocker. Sorry to hear. I was introduced to D&D 28 years ago. It's safe to say in some ways the game changed my life, especially regarding reading. Rest in peace GG.

    Otto Cornejo
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    Thu Mar 06, 2008 11:49 am  

    Damn. That sucks.

    I don't know if any of you follow the Order fo teh Stuck site, but there's a tribute there: http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0536.html
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    Thu Mar 06, 2008 2:25 pm  

    I found this to be a simple, yet impressive tribute, from http://www.penny-arcade.com


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    Thu Mar 06, 2008 3:06 pm  

    That is the first and only time I think that term has a positive connotation. Smile
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    Thu Mar 06, 2008 4:14 pm  

    Made me smile.
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    Thu Mar 06, 2008 8:10 pm  
    R.I.P. EGG

    Wow. It is profound how much his life has touched so many different people. That is a true monument to the man - the numbers of others who have been affected by your passing.

    I guess he failed his last saving throw and we are all made the poorer for it. But I am sure he is still keeping a GM screen up for his fans.

    R.I.P. EGG
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    Sat Mar 08, 2008 7:11 am  

    Sad news.
    Rest in peace, Mr Gygax.
    GreySage

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    Sat Mar 08, 2008 10:42 am  

    The xkcd tribute is also really great.
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    Sat Mar 08, 2008 1:38 pm  

    In the game, campaigns end and heroes die, but their memories and their legends will live on forever.

    So too will it be for Ernest Gary Gygax.

    I don't game, but I owe Mr. Gygax an eternal debt for the tremendous creative inspiration he gave me over the years, which has stimulated the development of my writing skills and made my imagination grow to new heights. If I have written quality material for the World of Greyhawk, it is because I have stood on the shoulders of giants, one giant in particular whose memory will never be forgotten.

    RIP, Colonel. If I could organize a 21-fireball salute for you, I would. ;)
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    Sun Mar 09, 2008 3:43 am  

    Probably wouldn't be posting on this site if it weren't for Gary Gygax. Due to his creative genius, I discovered D&D about 25 years ago in college and have been in love with the game since.
    Had the pleasure of meeting him a couple of times and even sitting in on a game with him waaaay back in mid 80's in Atlanta at the Atlanta Fantasy Fair (now called Dragon Con).
    The one thing I remember most about him was that he had a great sense of humor. We spent most of the game laughing with him.
    R.I.P. good sir.
    -g-
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    Tue Mar 11, 2008 5:49 pm  



    Goodbye Gary and thank you for everything.
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    By the pricking of my thumbs, Something wicked this way comes: ~ 2nd witch - Act IV Scene 1 Macbeth
    GreySage

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    Wed Mar 12, 2008 7:13 am  

    I thought this was a nice article.
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    Thu Mar 13, 2008 7:10 pm  

    I am just felling sad and felling a little bit nostalgic, I don't know for sure. I never met Mr.Gygax and I don't know much about his personal history - besides the fact that he created D&D and Greyhawk.

    Yet, I feel nostalgic.

    It's like I was a close friend of him, it's like he'd always been playing with me and my friends every single weekend.

    Yes, I think this is it. I feel like I've lost a great friend. Someone that, through his ideas and creations, was a big part of my life.

    Gary Gygax is a legend. When I die, one of the first things I would like to do (if something like "afterlife" exists) is to shake his hands and thank him for everything he did.

    SAUDAÇÕES SR. GYGAX!
    Nova Friburgo, Rio de Janeiro - Brazil
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    Thu Jul 03, 2008 8:27 pm  

    seeing as how I just started posting here I wanted to put my thoughts on this thread even though it is an older thread and garys passing has been some time now. AD&D was something I started playing when it was just called Chainmale. I progressed through basic, then Expert and through second edition where I refused to buy third and on due to it becoming a money market.

    Gary was what made the game have that special quality. He created something that brought myself and my close friends together over the years for MANY hours of fun.

    When the news first broke, I called my best friend and told him of garys death and we both just sat in silence for several moments. It may sound wierd but the hurt stayed with us both for many weeks after it happened.

    For someone who I did not know personally to have such an affect on me as it did only shows how great of a person he really was.

    You will always be missed in my circle gary.


    PS: sorry for the late post on this old thread, I was browsing through the old threads and saw this and I just felt like I needed to say something.
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    Fri Jul 04, 2008 8:37 am  

    I have delayed posting anything in response to EGG's passing, as well. The reason is not knowing really what to say, as I have had mixed feelings about EGG over the course of my involvement in gaming, the details of which are irrelevant at this point.

    Personally, the EGG I knew, first and mostly second hand, was human, with all the strengths and weaknesses that come with that condition. I did not know him or know of him well enough to say much more than that, except this. However, one might account EGG's shortcomings as a person or personality, he largely transcended them within the particular avocation that we call gaming.

    When addressing himself to gaming, EGG could be at times difficult but mainly in the moment and the moment would pass. A general enthusiasm for gaming was irrepressable in EGG and that enthusiasm was inevitably and ultimately triumphant, and more importantly, I think, infectous. EGG was the best recruiter of gamers that has ever been.

    E. Gary Gygax radiated gaming. Of course, he was instrumental in founding the game that gave birth to our hobby and he created the World of Greyhawk campaign setting that brings us all to this website. EGG was gaming, in this sense, but as much in the sense that he personified the game and the World of Greyhawk campaign setting. It is simply impossible to think of either and not think of him. His passion for gaming, despite well documented travails, never flaged. His intelligence, persistence and enthusiasm for the hobby continued to burn brightly and drew people to him, to the hobby and to the World of Greyhawk by default.

    Because Greyhawk was the first published campaign setting, created by the man who helped create the game, the hobby and the first major game company, EGG and Greyhawk were inevitably linked in the gaming public's mind. Each became inevitably part of the story of the other. While EGG's involvement with the World of Greyhawk was in the fullness of time comparatively short, his influence upon the setting is unsurpassed.

    However much others have added to or altered the details of the setting, EGG's work remains the touchstone of all things Greyhawk. Everything involving the setting is judged by reference to EGG's work and it is not reasonable to imagine this will ever be otherwise. While other settings have come and gone, Greyhawk alone has remained, supported by fans even when there has been no published support, when publishers have sought to promote other settings and even when Gary himself very publically moved on to other projects. That there has been such a an enduring cachet attached to Greyhawk is a tribute to EGG and the intelligence and quality of his work. Greyhawk and its enduring popularity is then a living monument to EGG.

    It is fitting that before passing, EGG was able to return to Greyhawk. That Castle Zagyg is not published under the name Castle Greyhawk nor by the owner of the D&D brand and logo is irrelevant. Gary, in the end, came home to the World of Greyhawk. While the work on his final project must of necessity be carried on by others, Gary's vision and intelligence animate the undertaking and more than inform the end result. EGG has given a final gift to all Greyhawkers and to the hobby.

    We here on the Canonfire website are indebted to EGG. He gave us the World of Greyhawk that has provided us with countless hours of enjoyment and community. I will miss his being but I will sense it every time I look at the map of the setting he created or think long on the game he made possible. Travel well, Mr. Gygax. And thank you.
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    GVD
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    Fri Jul 04, 2008 6:00 pm  

    I was at Dragon Con ... a while back, not sure what year it was but it was a while back hehe but Gary DMed me and 4 others through a mini adventure. Was the greatest honor of my life (where my gaming is concerned) and I also once had some message boards back when he had his personal website and he came to my forums and posted a small thread talking about how he remembered me at Dragon Con, I remember him saying .... I do not believe I ever have DMed a redneck country boy before


    noone could imagine how much I miss this man.



    It was... odd.

    But unlike many, unlike most, he knew he was likely the most prepared to accept it.

    Gary was only slightly surprised when he opened his eyes and found himself focusing on the face of a wizard. Of course, not just any wizard, but that of his old friend Bigby. Funny, he hadn't really imagined Bigby's face being quite so long, pinched even - but the smiling, mischevious eyes were dead on. The old wizard helped him to his feet - though he realized he didn't really need any help. He looked down at his arms, strong and hale - and young.

    He looked about himself, at the sylvan glade he'd awakened in. Listened to the birdsong. Smelled the rich loamy, heady smells of a world uncorrupted by pollution and the droning bustle of progress. He smiled, tears in his eyes when he saw the cobbled path leading up to the a certain, familiar Castle.

    "Welcome Home, Lord Grayhawk" Bigby stated rather formally before leading the way.

    Home.
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    Wed Jul 30, 2008 2:34 pm  

    That is wonderfull short Phantamn, it almost felt like I was there as well.

    I am so very awed, at how much Mr Gygax... sorry, Gary, as he had insisted on the time that I had met him... has influenced my life, all of the good people I have met and continue to meet thru D&D.

    I remember how I had asked him to roll a d20 for me... and he rolled a 17... he smiled and said not bad at all...

    You will never be forgotten.


    AG
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    Thu Jul 31, 2008 8:36 am  

    GVD,

    Well said. I'm proud to have met you and happy I introduced you to Gary at Gen Con last year.

    Best,
    --Jeff T.
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