Through your work I found true friends when I needed them most. You awoke my imagination to worlds of possibility that are still expanding. You inspired to me find my own creative calling. You will be missed forever.

It was some several years ago in the mid ninties. I wrote a small tabletop strategy game and was lucky enough to be invited to the same after Gen Con party as E. Gary Gygax. I was at the convention for several days and actually kept bumping into him randomly and he spoke to me every time, at length, with no apparent regard for the fact that I was taking up some of his time. Not many get to meet their idol, as I grew up in the eighties adventuring through endless hours of Advanced Dungeons and Dragons. So I feel fortunate for this and the rest of this story. Anyway, this party. We all were there for a short length of time, new people showing up, most of us awaiting Gary. He arrives, no dismountig off a dragon he rode in on, no great flash of magic as the grandfather of roleplaying arrived, he just walked in wearing a button up untucked shirt and wry grin. I was maybe ten feet from the door, and to my utter amazement, he walked directly up to me with purpose and greeted me. I was standing with a few other people whom I had met at the convention and this wonderful and amazing feeling of pride came over me. My hands are shaking right now as I type this memory. Gary Gygax walked into a party and apporached me in front of all these fellow fans of his, and greeted me...ME. Of all people. Well only aanother moment went by and he reached into pocket and pulled out a pack of smokes and lit up. As if by magic, a party attendant approached out of the ether and said, "Mr. Gygax, this is a non-smoking party." Without missing a beat, he handed me a cigarette, the people I was with a cigarette, a few passers by and the attendant were all handed cigarettes. He lit mine and proceeded to light others as well. I didn't smoke at the time, but I tell you, when Gary Gygax practically puts a cigarette in your mouth and lights it, you smoke it! He finished up after lighting only a few, looked at the attendant and said, "Miss, now this is a smoking party." He waited for some comment, she turned and left. We all laughed and he bid the group I was with a good day and proceeded to head around the room. I wept at his passing, but he is now on the grandest adventure infinite that we all must take. I bid him peace and a sincere thank you for his work while he was with us, and the personal memory he left with me.

Thank you Mr Gygax, for making my teenage years just a little bit less rocky.

Have always been a place of solace for me and my friends to share laughs and have a good time. I always wanted to meet you Gygax, and when I firt heard of your death, I was immensely saddened. Still am. ~Luke

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14 years ago

/ hai / i miss u mj ! / from your funs

thank you all for your words my wife and I love hearing and reading what her father means to you

I never met him, but the games he created for myself and all of my close friends lifted us out of an otherwise gray and troubled teen age existance. For us D&D, AD&D and Boothill gave all of a free and exciting place to live if only for a night or two per week. My friends would meet at LaTrobe uni in (Melbourne Australia) playing 12 hours on a friday night it was awesome, I picked up boothill and games of it are in demand constantly. The games he wrote gave advice that felt like an old mate was bringing us in on a great secret and usually he delivered in a way that made so many people smile and laugh untill it hurt. I still have that original print of Boot hill, the guys called to let me know what had happened so I'm flying 2000kms next week to run "mad mesa" and the "Taiming of Brimstone" as a tribute to someone who gave us all heaps it's the best we can do. It's been really touching to read of so many people who felt the same way because it hit all of us down here. Happy trails Mr Gygax Thankyou for that helping hand. (we'll see to it that the game goes on)

"Dungeon Master Guy" by Tom O’Bryan w/ apologies to Don McLean A Long, long time ago… I can still remember how the dice rolls made me smile And I knew if I had made the roll I’d surely turn that undead ghoul And, maybe, make my party last awhile But then March came and we shivered With every blog my browser delivered Sad news on my pc screen So sad it almost made me scream Like the nerd I am I cried When I learned the news and sighed We failed our fort saves with are d20 die The day that Gygax died. So bye-bye Dungeon Master Guy Took your fables to my table As we all rolled our dice Playing Living Greyhawk while drinky Mountain Dew on the side. Saying “Salute him with our six sider dies… Salute him with our six sider dies.” When you first wrote your first boxed set Could you have even bet That Geeks around the world would unite. Did you first disbelieve that “phantasmal killer” Boy that spell gave me some chillers Like Galstaff the Sorcerer of Light. And at Gencon the dorks all screamed The monty haller’s cried, the role players dreamed But not a spell was miscast We all rolled 20’s at his mass And the three mages I admire greatly Tenszer, Mordenkainen, and Bigby All teleported to Greyhawk City The day Dungeon Master died. So bye-bye Dungeon Master Guy Took your fables to my table As we all rolled our dice Playing Living Greyhawk while drinky Mountain Dew on the side. Saying “Salute him with our six sider dies… Salute him with our six sider dies. Yes my friends, I am a dork. But I will miss you Gary.

Thanks for the Life Lesson! I wrote tournament dungeons through out the 80's and nothing in life taught me to think outside the box more than this game system. You are Missed!

He Inspired me and my friends to create our own D&D themed games. may he roll good stats on his next incarnation... God bless you Gary Gygax, the true DM that you are. *closes DM's guide for the last time*

AD&D was an important anchor for me transitioning through adolescence. Despite its fantasy themes, it ironically kept me grounded with a core group of friends and out of trouble. The "game" had an enormous (positive) impact on my life, and for that Gary, I will be forever grateful. Brian P.

Dear Sir, you will be adored and missed by far more than you ever would have imagined. I had the honor of working for this man, even before I learned to "game". Originally, I though he was "above" the staff - one of the biggest misconceptions of my life! He was simply deep in thought and always busy. I hope he now comprehends just how many people appreciate him.

I find tears in my eyes whenever I think about how much this man inadvertantly affected my life. I wanted to somehow let him know, but, never got the chance. I can only hope and pray that he can see now how everyone feels about him and feel the combined joy he gave to all of us.

You shall be remembered. I fell in love with my wife while playing in Grey Hawk. You gave so much without ever knowing it. The world is a bit more dark without you.

I started playing D&D when I was about 9 years old, or so, somewhere around 1979. I was a pretty tortured kid, as I think many nerdy undersized kids were (are). And AD&D was a very important part of my preteen survival. When I was 11 years old, I wrote to Gary, it was quite a confessional. It included a poem about how D&D kept me going. It must have been a pretty awful poem. But Gary wrote me back, and I'll never forget this, he invited me to lunch. Asked me to come to the upcoming Gencon, and offered to buy me a coke. I will never forget the generosity and compassion of this man.

Inspiration can't be quantified. We love Gary for how he provided us a way to show our imaginative spirits in a social setting.

I grew up playing DnD but had to smuggle my books in and out of the house because of my parents concern pver their "Satanic" nature. Instead of having this negative effect on me, I learned to love learning, found a creative outlet, and developed socail skills, al of which were hard for a geek in a small TN town. Thanks Gary for giving us such a wonderful gift.

It's amazing how you don't even realize what an impact something is having on you in your childhood. The worlds that were opened up to me through this simple concept called imagination would give me pleasure, hope, creativity, refuge and strength. Even today, I can visit at anytime and feel the joy of those worlds, and the kinship of friends and strangers who have also been there. Gary Gygax, though I never met you, I've known you almost my entire life. How wonderous...could you even know the profound and positive effects you've had on people you didn't even know existed? We shall all miss you very much, and you shall forever have our gratitude.

At a time when everything else in my teeage years was falling apart...I could count on the game and my friends...in that world everything was ok...

Who is Ernest Gary Gygax?

I had never lead anything until I was Dm for a group of 12 people. I learned leadership by organizing a weekly game. Now I make a good living leading a company. I have not forgotten where I started learning those skills. I hope God had a sense of humor and told him, "Well, you missed your saving throw."

Thank you for the great game and great memories. Good luck in the better place. You will be missed but never forgotten. I know I also would not be who I am today without the game, all artists need their imagination......Much respect to the Gygax family and friends, I can only imagine the sadness and heavy hearts that you must have.

One of the Fathers of my chilhood has past. A sad day I am curious what plane of existence he has moved on to.

Gary, the dice will never feel the same in my hand again with you gone...

Thanks for allowing me to make my closest of friends.

Gary, you kept so many people entertained for so many years. To bad I dont have cleric levels, or you would already be back.

You gave us the adventure

Gary, Thanks for opening up worlds of possibilities and fun to us all. You'll be missed.

I met him at GenCon once. He compared something to being like "A one-legged dwarf in an ass-kicking contest"... I only remember what it was in reference to.

Thank you for creating the world that so many of us have come to love and enjoy and continue to visit on weekends with our good friends. Thank you for bringing the world your joy and imagination and allowing us to share it with you. Requiem aeternam dona eis, Domine, et lux perpetua luceat eis.

You were the inspiration for my novels and stories, and you will always be a hero to me. You brought so many people so much joy, and if the measure of a man is in the joy and happiness he brings to the lives of others, then there truly is no man greater than you. You will be missed, and though I may never have met you, I feel as though I was able to share the adventure with you. Thank-you, Mr. Gygax.

Thank you for teaching me to use my imagination. Thank you for helping me become a thinker. Thank you for all the memories of late night gaming sessions over bad pizza and warm Jolt Cola.

Your contributions will live forever, Gary. We will miss you. God Bless