That really sucks.

My thoughts are out there with his friends and family.

Much of my geek existence was shaped by him.

Aww! He was a cool guy. I almost got to play under him once at a convention.

Sadness ensues...

):

Sad news. His Greyhawk novels were among the first fantasy I ever read.

Aside from the obvious crowning achievement, his list of contributions are incredible. But I can drive to the point of it in six words:

Against the Giants. Tomb of Horrors.

'nuff said.

And Tomb of Horrors was the worst, but what a worst! Every DM ever born still itches for that one whenever it becomes evident that it has become necessary to control, if not cull, the rabble.

Awww, crap... In my youthful insanity (at the age of 10), I once called Gary Gygax at home. He didn't ask how I got his number (caller assistance) or if I knew it was inappropriate to call him at home (it was). He sat at his kitchen table and had a 5 minute conversation with a goofy little kid who idolized his creation. Though I've grown away from "real" RPGs (I still play on the computer whenever the time permits it - which isn't often), I've always enjoyed his writing and respected his tolerance of us fanboys.

It's a sad day.

That's a shame. Though I wasn't a big gamer, especially not with D&D, his influence on pop culture is undeniable.

That is terribly sad news. Last week I was cleaning out boxes from the closet to make ready the baby's room, and started showing my wife my old D&D notebooks, maps, drawings, and miniatures. Her comment was that I did way more interesting things in High School than she did. The pen and paper rpgs really are great exercise for the imagination.

That was awesome.

That was sweet! Thanks Mr. B!

My first exposure to being a geek was through him (and science fiction...).

I just saw a Futurama repeat not too long ago that had Gygax,Al Gore,Prof.Steven Hawking & Nichelle Nichols as a group of nerds trying to get Fry to not screw up the time/space continuum, or something. Sad to hear he passed on..I too was a D&D geek in HS. It's kinda sad to see how much the game has changed over the years.

Alas!

My favorite Gygax game was the legendary Temple of Elemental Evil. The pnp was fantastic, contrary to all future attempts at computer versions. I love the maps with jagged edges that do not cling to graph paper like every other map in DnD.

I was also a big fan of the Gord the rogue books, at least the first few. Gygax made Gord beyond epic as far as PCs goes, although I've never seen stats on him.

It is a sad, sad day.

In some ways, I owe the fact that I'm a novelist to him.

Yes!

After playing RPGs for years, I got in the habit of yelling "Pick up the gun!" at actors who overpower their guards and sneak off into the villain's island lair without stealing the guard's gun, ammo and communicator first!

Is there a PC anywhere who would venture into a basement to investigate strange noises without grabbing something large and sharp?

I learned a lot from those games.

Found elsewhere, but appropriate:

The Really Big GM: “….as you ascend the staircase you note a brilliant light coming from everywhere but it does not hurt your eyes. Your ears are filled with a beautiful song and you feel your earthly burdens lifted. As you near the top of the staircase you are greeted by a large being with wings. The being smiles and greets you. What do you do?”

Gary: “Roll initiative”