Gary Gygax, co-creator of Dungeons & Dragons, passed away.


I think my friends and I stopped playing AD&D in 1986. Previous to that we spent many weekends holed up at someone's house rolling dice, exploring underground caverns, and racking up gold and Experience Points.  When I was first introduced to the game I thought it was all rather weird. Sit around and talk about adventure? I didn't get it. But slowly I began to see the attraction and I became a big fan for several years.

Then I discovered girls and stopped playing.

D&D caused quite a stir back in the 1980s and was blamed for all sorts of ills from teen suicide to devil worship. But even now I have a hard time blaming a game, just like blaming modern video games for teen violence.  I may have been a suicidal devil worshiper but that wasn't caused by D&D.

Right or wrong, Gary Gygax influenced a whole generation of fantasy games, films, novels, and more. If his creativity had a tendency to appear dark and mystical, that's only a reflection of any of us when we aren't following Christ. I don't know Gary's eternal destination but I do know it's not based on any of his creative works here on Earth.

I think I'll go roll a twenty-sided die in his honor.