I guess I failed my saving throws versus sad and nostalgia:
MILWAUKEE, Wis. (AP) -- A sad day for fans of role-playing games: The man who co-created Dungeons & Dragons is dead.Gary Gygax died Tuesday morning at his home in Lake Geneva, Wis. His wife Gail says the 69-year-old had been suffering from health problems for several years. (AP News)
Also: First announcement1 | Gary Gygax, 1938-2008: Rest in Peace, Dungeon Master
I'll admit it. I was a huge D&D nerd for a long time. My friends and I would play RPGs, mostly D&D, for hours any chance we could get. Nothing could beat a great DIY adventure or campaign one of your friends cooked up. Anything could happen. None of the computer games or online RPGs I've ever played could match the fun of a good D&D session with friends.
Some of our parents thought we were worshipping Satan, of course. I did grow up in the Deep South after all. Some of the guys couldn't keep books at their house because their folks would through them away if they found them. My parents didn't forbid it but they didn't really encourage it.
The only time I ever shoplifted anything was a Dungeon Master's Guide. It was from a bookstore in the mall.
I haven't played since ca 1993 or 1994, I guess. I'm not even sure where my books are. I think one of the people I used to game with still has them. I know my dice are around here somewhere. I don't know anyone that still plays, and I doubt I could make time for it anymore if I did.
I still miss that game.
I've never met Gary Gygax, but he helped make that fun possible.
1. This was the first announcement of Gygax's death. I waited until I saw an "official" announcement in the news just in case this was a hoax.