Gary Gygax, creator of Dungeons & Dragons, the seminal tabletop roleplaying game passed away today at 69. I didn’t play D&D but for a few years in middle school (and loved it!), but it lead soon to GURPS, another roleplaying system. No matter what the system, Mr. Gygax created an entire genre of entertainment. One I have enjoyed very much over the years, and for that I thank him.

Tabletop roleplaying is an in person experience, and as such it stimulates conversation, social skills, and more. Being a game, it teaches about competition, leadership, and cooperation. And being an open-ended format as opposed to a book or boardgame, it inspires the imagination. Skinny teenage geeks who didn’t feel like they felt in growing up could (and still can) find an escape in the fantastical adventures roleplaying proposes. Swords and sorcerors, dungeons and dragons, the imagination could run wild.

Wil Wheaton of course summarized much the same more eloquently than I could, read his homage to Mr. Gygax here.

I suppose I should finish with the obligatory RPG reference. So, Gary, may 3d10+2 angels carry thee to thy rest.