Gary Gygax

Ernest Gary Gygax
Gary Gygax Gen Con 2007.JPG
Gygax at Gen Con Indy 2007
Born July 27, 1938(1938-07-27)
Chicago, Illinois,
United States
Died March 4, 2008 (aged 69)
Lake Geneva, Wisconsin, United States
Occupation writer, game designer
Nationality United States
Writing period 1971–2008
Genres role-playing games, fantasy, wargames
Influences

Ernest Gary Gygax (July 27, 1938 – March 4, 2008) (IPA: [ˈgaj.gæks][2]) was an American writer and game designer, best known for co-creating the pioneering role-playing game Dungeons & Dragons (D&D) with Dave Arneson. Gygax is generally acknowledged as one of the fathers of the tabletop role-playing game. [3]

In the 1960s, Gygax created an organization of wargaming clubs and founded the Gen Con gaming convention. In 1971, he helped develop the Chainmail miniatures wargame, which was based on medieval warfare. He co-founded the company Tactical Studies Rules (TSR, Inc.) with childhood friend Don Kaye in 1973. The following year, he created Dungeons & Dragons with Dave Arneson, expanding on his work on Chainmail and including elements of the fantasy stories he loved as a child. He also founded the magazine The Dragon in the same year, to support the new game. In 1977, Gygax began work on a more comprehensive version of the game, called Advanced Dungeons & Dragons. Gygax designed numerous manuals for the game system, as well as several pre-packaged adventures called "modules" that gave a person running a D&D game (the "Dungeon Master") a rough script and ideas on how to run a particular gaming scenario. In 1983, he worked to license the D&D product line into the successful Dungeons & Dragons cartoon series.

After leaving TSR in 1985 over issues with its new majority owner, Gygax continued to author role-playing game titles independently, beginning with the multi-genre Dangerous Journeys in 1992. He designed another gaming system called Lejendary Adventure, released in 1999.[4] In 2005, Gygax was involved in the Castles & Crusades role-playing game, which was conceived as a hybrid between the game's third edition rules and the classic version of the game created by Gygax.

Gygax was married twice and had six children. In 2004, he suffered two strokes, narrowly avoided a subsequent heart attack, and was then diagnosed with an inoperable abdominal aortic aneurysm, from which he died in March 2008.

Contents

Biography

Early life and inspiration

Born in 1938 in the city of Chicago, Gygax was the son of Swiss immigrant and Chicago Symphony Orchestra violinist Ernst Gygax,[5] and Almina Emelie Burdick.[6] His family moved to Lake Geneva, Wisconsin in 1946 just before Gygax's eighth birthday,[7] where he lived until his death in 2008. After Gygax dropped out of high school during his junior year, he worked odd jobs for a while, and eventually continued his junior college education by attending night classes.[7] Later, Gygax furthered his education by pursuing anthropology classes at the University of Chicago.[5] In terms of careers, Gygax progressed from the various jobs that he had picked up after leaving high school, to a steady job in the 1960s working as an insurance underwriter for the Firemen's Fund.[7]

Among his interests were a love of gaming and an appreciation for fantasy and science fiction. Gygax started to develop his interest in gaming when he was five, playing games such as pinochle and chess, and this interest, in combination with an appreciation of history, eventually led Gygax to begin playing miniature war games.[8] This pursuit began in 1953, and by 1958 the game Gettysburg from the Avalon Hill company particularly captured Gygax's attention.[9] It was also from Avalon Hill that he ordered the first blank hexagon mapping sheets that were available, which he then employed to design his own games. As part of this, Gygax began looking for innovative ways to generate random numbers, and used not only common dice (with six sides), but dice of all five platonic solid shapes.[10] His interest in science fiction and fantasy stemmed directly from his father's influence: his father introduced him to pulp novels,[5] and Gygax stated that he became "hooked" on science fiction and fantasy stories with Ray Bradbury's "The Veldt", Robert E. Howard's Conan stories and the Startling Stories magazine.[11]

Gaming career

In 1966, Gygax assisted in creating the International Federation of Wargamers (IFW).[12] Several wargaming clubs composed this organization, which served to promote interest in the medieval period and provide a forum for international wargamers.[10] Then in 1967, Gygax organized a 20-person gaming meet in the basement of his home; this event would later become known as "Gen Con 0". In 1968, Gygax rented Lake Geneva's vine-covered Horticultural Hall for $50 to hold the first Lake Geneva Convention, also known as the Gen Con gaming convention for short.[7] Gen Con is now one of North America's largest annual hobby-game gatherings.[13][14] Gary Gygax met Brian Blume at Gen Con, and met Dave Arneson at the second Gen Con in August 1969.[7]

"I'm very fond of the Medieval period, the Dark Ages in particular. We started playing in the period because I had found appropriate miniatures. I started devising rules where what the plastic figure was wearing was what he had. If he had a shield and no armor, then he just has a shield. Shields and half-armor = half-armor rules; full-armor figure = full armor rules. I did rules for weapons as well."[15]

Together with Don Kaye, Mike Reese and Leon Tucker, Gygax created a military miniatures society, Lake Geneva Tactical Studies Association (LGTSA), with its first headquarters in Gygax's basement.[14] Gary left the insurance business and became a shoe repairman to make free time for pursuing his interest in game development.[16] In 1970, he began working as editor-in-chief at Guidon Games, a publisher of wargames, for which he produced the board games Alexander the Great and Dunkirk in 1971.[9] In 1971, Gygax and Jeff Perren wrote Chainmail, a miniatures wargame that simulated medieval-era tactical combat,[17] in part inspired by the wargame Siege of Bodenburg.[7] Gygax first collaborated with Dave Arneson on the naval wargame Don't Give Up the Ship! in 1972.[7]

For the second edition of Chainmail, published in 1972, Gygax added a Fantasy Supplement to the rules. These included monsters and non-human races drawn from Tolkien and other sources. He also included rules for individual heroic characters, including wizards. For the last he included ten spells that could be used to affect a battle, including lightning bolts, fireballs, and so forth. Dave Arneson adopted the modified rules for his fantasy Blackmoor campaign. While visiting Lake Geneva in 1972, Arneson ran his fantasy game using the new rules and Gygax immediately saw the potential of role-playing games.[18]

Based upon the rules for Chainmail,[17] and evolved with Arneson's help from his home-brewed version of Chainmail for his Blackmoor campaign,[7] Gygax developed "The Fantasy Game", the role-playing game (RPG) that became Dungeons & Dragons (D&D).[17][9] The rules for simulating magic were inspired by the works of fantasy author Jack Vance, and the system as a whole drew upon the work of authors as Robert E. Howard, L. Sprague de Camp and Fritz Leiber. In the summer of 1973, Gygax attempted to publish the game through Avalon Hill, who turned down his offer.[9]

TSR

Gygax left Guidon and with Kaye as a partner founded the publishing company Tactical Studies Rules in 1973, with $2,400 for startup costs.[7] Brian Blume joined TSR in 1974 as an equal (1/3) partner, bringing the financing to publish Dungeons & Dragons.[12][9] In January 1974 Dungeons & Dragons was first released by TSR as a boxed set,[19] and a hand-assembled print run of 1,000 copies sold out in less than a year.[7][12][14] In the same year, Gygax hired Tim Kask to assist in the transition of TSR's magazine The Strategic Review into the fantasy periodical The Dragon, with Gygax as author and later as columnist.[14][20] Gygax wrote the supplements Greyhawk (with Robert J. Kuntz),[21] Eldritch Wizardry (with Brian Blume),[22] and Swords & Spells[23] for the original D&D game.

After Kaye's death from a heart attack in January 1976, his widow sold her shares to Gygax.[9] Gygax, now controlling the whole of Tactical Studies Rules, created TSR Hobbies, Inc. with himself as president. Gygax, coming into financial troubles soon after, sold TSR Hobbies to Brian Blume and his brother Kevin. The Blume family would own roughly two-thirds of TSR Hobbies by late 1976.[6]

Advanced Dungeons & Dragons

Beginning in 1977, a new version of D&D was created, Advanced Dungeons & Dragons (AD&D). The Monster Manual would be the first rule book of the new system, with many books to follow.[12] The AD&D rules were not compatible with those of D&D and as a result, D&D and AD&D would have distinct product lines and expansions.

Gygax authored the Advanced Dungeons & Dragons hardcovers Player's Handbook,[24] Dungeon Master's Guide,[25] Monster Manual,[26] Monster Manual II,[27] Unearthed Arcana,[28] and Oriental Adventures (with Dave Cook & Francois Froideval).[29] Gygax authored numerous AD&D & basic D&D adventure modules, including B2 The Keep on the Borderlands,[30] D1 Descent Into the Depths of the Earth, D2 Shrine of the Kuo-Toa (These two later reprinted in 1981 as D1-2 Descent into the Depths of the Earth[31]), D3 Vault of the Drow,[32] EX1 Dungeonland[33], EX2 The Land Beyond the Magic Mirror[34], G1 Steading of the Hill Giant Chief, G2 Glacial Rift of the Frost Giant Jarl, G3 Hall of the Fire Giant King (These three later reprinted in 1981 as G1-2-3 Against the Giants[35]), Q1 Queen of the Demonweb Pits (with Dave Sutherland),[36] S1 Tomb of Horrors,[37] S3 Expedition to the Barrier Peaks,[38] S4 The Lost Caverns of Tsojcanth, [39] T1 The Village of Hommlet, [40] T1-4 The Temple of Elemental Evil (with Frank Mentzer),[41] WG4 Forgotten Temple of Tharizdun[42], WG5 Mordenkainen's Fantastic Adventure[43], and WG6 Isle of the Ape.[44] In 1980, Gygax's long-time campaign setting of Greyhawk was finally published in the form of the World of Greyhawk Fantasy World Setting folio,[45] which was expanded in 1983 into the World of Greyhawk Fantasy Game Setting boxed set.[46] Sales of the Dungeons & Dragons game reached $8.5 million in 1980.[5]

Troubled Times

Dungeons & Dragons' rising popularity also brought controversy. A Michigan State University student allegedly disappeared into the school's steam tunnels in 1979 for reasons supposedly related to playing D&D, with negative mainstream media attention focusing on TSR as a result. In 1982, Patricia Pulling's son shot himself in the chest, and Pulling formed a organization named B.A.D.D. (Bothered About Dungeons & Dragons) to attack the game and the company that produced it. The controversy was sufficient to cause Gygax to hire a bodyguard when death threats started arriving at the TSR office. In 1982, the publicity helped TSR's annual D&D sales shoot up to $16 million.[7][9][6]

In 1983, TSR was split into four companies.[9][47] Gygax became the President and the Chairman of the Board of Directors of TSR, Inc., and the President of TSR Entertainment, Inc. As part of TSR Entertainment, Inc. (later Dungeons & Dragons Entertainment Corp.), Gygax went to Hollywood where he became co-producer of the licensed Dungeons & Dragons animated television show for CBS.[48] While Gygax was involved in the making of the series and exploring the possibility of a film adaptation of the game (starring Orson Welles[9]) he left the day-to-day operations of TSR to his fellow board members, Kevin and Brian Blume. By the time he came back to Wisconsin in 1984, the company was $1.5 million in debt.[6] In response he hired Lorraine Dille Williams (heiress to the Buck Rogers fortune[6]) to manage the company.[9] The Blumes soon sold their stock to Williams. Gary Gygax sold his remaining stock and left TSR in 1985;[7] by that year, sales of Dungeons & Dragons reached $29 million.[5]

"I was pretty much boxed out of the running of the company because the two guys, who between them had a controlling interest, thought they could run the company better than I could. I was set up because I could manage. In 1982 nobody on the West Coast would deal with TSR, but they had me start a new corporation called "Dungeons and Dragons Entertainment." It took a long time and a lot of hard work to get to be recognized as someone who was for real and not just a civilian, shall we say, in entertainment. Eventually, though, we got the cartoon show going (on CBS) and I had a number of other projects in the works. While I was out there, though, I heard that the company was in severe financial difficulties and one of the guys, the one I was partnered with, was shopping it on the street in New York. I came back and discovered a number of gross mismanagements in all areas of the company. The bank was foreclosing and we were a million and a half in debt. We eventually got that straightened out, but I kind of got one of my partners kicked out of office. (Kevin Blume, who was removed as TSR CEO in 1984 - ed.). Then my partners, in retribution for that, sold his shares to someone else (Lorraine Williams - ed.). I tried to block it in court, but in the ensuing legal struggle the judge ruled against me. I lost control of the company, and it was then at that point I just decided to sell out. "[49]

Before leaving TSR, Gygax authored two novels for TSR's Greyhawk Adventures series, featuring Gord the Rogue, Saga of Old City (1985, ISBN 0-88038-257-0) and Artifact of Evil (1986, ISBN 0-88038-257-0). Subsequent Gord the Rogue Adventures from New Infinities Productions, Inc. (also published in Italian) included Sea of Death (1987, ISBN 0-44175-676-X), Night Arrant (1987) – a collection of short stories, City of Hawks (1987, ISBN 0-44110-636-6), Come Endless Darkness (1988, ISBN 0-44111-446-6), and Dance of Demons (1988, ISBN 0-42511-342-6).

Late career

After leaving TSR, Gygax helped form the company New Infinities Productions, Inc. in 1986, and was the Chairman of the Board of Directors until 1988, in addition to writing his novels.[9] Gygax then created Dangerous Journeys, an RPG spanning multiple genres,[3] published by Game Designers' Workshop (GDW), and which led to a lawsuit from TSR.[50] He subsequently wrote a number of fantasy novels, before beginning work in 1995 on a new RPG, originally intended for a computer game; however, it was released in 1999 as the RPG Lejendary Adventure.[50] A key goal of its design was to keep the gaming rules as simple as possible, as Gygax felt that role playing games were becoming discouragingly complex to new users.

In 2005, Gygax returned to the Dungeons & Dragons RPG with his involvement in the creation of the Castles & Crusades system with Troll Lord Games. Troll Lord Games published Castle Zagyg, the previously unreleased, original version of Gygax's Castle Greyhawk with the original dungeon setting for D&D. The Castle Zagyg series comprises a planned series of seven sourcebooks, which for trademark reasons are not actually published under the name of Greyhawk. Volumes released so far include Gary Gygax's Castle Zagyg: Yggsburgh Troll Lord Games, 2005 (ISBN 1-931275-68-8), Gary Gygax's Castle Zagyg: Dark Chateau (by Robert J. Kuntz) Troll Lord Games, 2005 (ISBN 1-931275-69-6), Gary Gygax's Castle Zagyg: The East Mark Gazeteer (with Jeffrey P. Talanian) Troll Lord Games, 2007 (ISBN 978-1-929474-98-1), and Gary Gygax's Castle Zagyg: The Upper Works (with Jeffrey P. Talanian) Troll Lord Games, 2008 (978-1-929474-93-6).

Gygax lent his voice to cartoons and video games in his later life, including providing the voice for his cartoon self in the episode "Anthology of Interest I" of the TV show Futurama, airing in the year 2000.[6] Gygax again provided his voice as a niblonian in the third Futurama movie "Bender's Game", released Nov 4th 2008. In 2007, Gygax had a special guest appearance as himself on the G4TV show Code Monkeys.[51] Gygax also performed voiceover narration as a guest dungeon master in the massively multiplayer online role-playing game Dungeons & Dragons Online: Stormreach. He narrates "Dead Girl's Spellbook" in Valak's Mausoleum as well as all of the dungeons in the "Mystery of Delera's Tomb" quest chain.

Personal life

Gygax married his first wife, Mary Jo Gygax, in 1958. By 1961 they had two children – Ernie and Elise – who would later assist with play-testing Dungeons & Dragons.[7] Three more children were to follow, (Heidi, Cindy, and Luke) before the marriage ended in divorce.[7] On August 15, 1987, (the same day as his parents' 50th wedding anniversary), he married his second wife, Gail Carpenter, and together they had his sixth (and last) child, Alexander. By 2005, Gygax had seven grandchildren.[14] He continued to reside in Lake Geneva, Wisconsin, as he had since his family first arrived in 1946.

Gygax died the morning of March 4, 2008, at his home in Lake Geneva, Wisconsin, aged 69. [52] He was in semi-retirement,[3] having almost suffered a heart attack after receiving incorrect medication[14] to prevent further strokes after those on April 1 and May 4, 2004. He was diagnosed with an inoperable abdominal aortic aneurysm. Even while his health failed, gaming remained very much a part of his life.[14] Gygax was still active in the gaming community and had active Q & A forums on gaming websites such as Dragonsfoot and EN World.

“ I would like the world to remember me as the guy who really enjoyed playing games and sharing his knowledge and his fun pastimes with everybody else.[53] ”

Legacy

Futurama writer Eric Kaplan mentioned in 2008 that he asked Gary Gygax if he, himself had created role playing games. Kaplan recounts that Gygax "very modestly said No. As long as kids have been playing cops & robbers and cowboys & indians, they've been playing roleplaying games".[54]

Awards and honors

A plaque dedicated to Gary Gygax at Gen Con 2008 reading:
The first DM,
He taught us to roll the dice.
He opened the door to new worlds.
His work shaped our industry.
He brought us Gen Con,
For this we thank him.

In fond memory of Gary Gygax
and in celebration of his spirit and accomplishments.

Gary Gygax received several awards related to gaming:[14]

Gary Gygax was tied with J. R. R. Tolkien for #18 on GameSpy's 30 Most Influential People in Gaming.[58]

A strain of bacteria was named in honor of Gary Gygax, namely "Arthronema gygaxiana sp nov UTCC393".[59]

Sync Magazine named Gary Gygax #1 on the list of "The 50 Biggest Nerds of All Time".[60] SFX Magazine listed him as #37 on the list of the "50 Greatest SF Pioneers".[61] In 1999 Pyramid magazine named Gary Gygax as one of The Millennium's Most Influential Persons "in the realm of adventure gaming."[62]

Tributes

Gary Gygax was commemorated in a number of webcomics, including xkcd's comic #393 "Ultimate Game"[63], Penny Arcade's "Bordering On The Semi-Tasteful",[64] Dork Tower's "Thanks for the Worldbuilding Rules",[65] Order of the Stick #536,[66] and GU Comics' "The Journey's End".[67]

Blizzard Entertainment dedicated the 2.4.0 patch to World of Warcraft, "Fury of the Sunwell", to Gary Gygax.[68] Electronic Arts dedicated Publish 51 in Ultima Online to Gary Gygax. This included a new room in the dungeon Doom containing a special encounter and unique decorations.[69] Turbine, Inc. included two tributes in the Dungeons & Dragons Online: Stormreach Module 7, released June 3 2008: A new area in Delera's Graveyard containing a memorial marker and text, and a new unique item, Voice of the Master, that improves the wearer's experience awards.[70][71]

Stephen Colbert, an avid D&D gamer in his youth, dedicated the last part of the March 5th Colbert Report to Gygax.[72]

The Futurama movie "Futurama: Bender's Game" is dedicated to Gygax, with an animated image of him appearing after the credits. Dungeons & Dragons plays a central theme to the movie, with the characters at one point visiting the "Geyser of Gygax".

Additional works

Role-playing games

TSR, Inc.

With Brian Blume he designed Boot Hill, a role-playing game with elements of the Wild West, in 1975.[73] The Dungeons & Dragons Basic Set, edited by J. Eric Holmes in 1977, was based largely on his work on the original D&D boxed set.[74] Gygax was also involved in several D&D accessories besides those already mentioned, including The Book of Marvelous Magic (with Frank Mentzer),[75] Dungeon Geomorphs (3 sets, ISBN 0-935696-37-7), Outdoor Geomorphs, and the Monster & Treasure Assortments (3 sets, ISBN-10: 0935696369). Gygax provided assistance on the Gamma World science fantasy role-playing game in 1981, and authored the Gamma World adventure GW1, Legion of Gold in 1981, with Luke Gygax and Paul Reiche III (ISBN 0-935696-61-X). In 1999, after a long estrangement with TSR, Gygax designed the adventure Against the Giants: The Liberation of Geoff (1999) with Sean K. Reynolds.[76]

Other companies

Gygax's first role-playing game work after leaving TSR was the science fiction RPG Cyborg Commando, published by New Infinities, Inc in 1987, with Kim Mohan and Frank Mentzer.[77] For his next project, Gygax authored all of the products for his Dangerous Journeys role-playing game, including Mythus (with Dave Newton, 1992, ISBN 1-55878-131-5), Mythus Magick Book II of the Mythus Game (with Dave Newton, 1992, ISBN 1-55878-133-1), Epic of Ærth companion volume to the Mythus Game (1992, ISBN 1-55878-132-3), Necropolis adventure scenario (1993, ISBN 1-58846-116-5), Mythus Bestiary, Ærth Animalia (with Dave & Michele Newton, 1993, ISBN 1-55878-153-6), Changeling weird science fantasy Role-Playing Game, published in part in Mythic Masters Magazine (see Periodicals), and the unpublished manuscript Unhallowed supernatural horror role-playing game (with Mike McCulley, 1992).

Gygax next produced the rule books for the Lejendary Adventure role-playing game through Hekaforge Productions, Lejendary Rules for All Players (1999, ISBN-10: 1930377029), Lejend Master's Lore (2000, ISBN-10: 193037707X), and Beasts of Lejend (2000, ISBN 1930377061). Gygax also produced the world setting sourcebooks Lejendary Earth Gazetteer - Part 1 in 2002, Noble Kings & Dark Lands - Part 2, (with Chris Clark) in 2003 and The Exotic Realms of Hazgar – Part 3, (with Chris Clark) in 2005. Gygax produced additional adventures for the Lejendary Adventure system for Troll Lord Games, including Living the Lejend - campaign setting & expansion for the Lejendary Adventure Essentials Boxed Set (2005, ISBN 1-931275-51-3), Forlorn Corners - included serially as a part of the Author’s and Collector’s Editions of the three core rules noted above (1999–2000), Hall of Many Panes (with Jon Creffield) – Module Boxed Set with D20 stats included (2005, ISBN 1-931275-33-5), and Lejendary Adventure Essentials - primer boxed set for the Lejendary Adventure RPG (2005, ISBN-10: 193127567X).

Gygax worked on a number of releases with the d20 System under the Open Game License. These included: A Challenge of Arms (1999) generic adventure module, and Ritual of the Golden Eyes generic adventure module (2000), both with Chris Clark for Inner City Game Designs; The Weyland Smith & Company Giant Fun Catalog ("Joke" Magic Items), short version, for Hekaforge Productions (1999); and The Slayer's Guide to Undead (2002, ISBN 1-903980-80-1) and The Slayer's Guide to Dragons (2003, ISBN-10: 1903980275) sourcebooks, both with Jon Creffield for Mongoose Publishing.

Gygax also worked on the Gygaxian Fantasy Worlds Series from Troll Lord Games, editing volumes IV, V, VI, VII. This series included: Volume I Gary Gygax's The Canting Crew, explores the underworld of city life (2002, ISBN-10: 1931275084); "Gygaxian Fantasy Worlds, Volume II"; Volume II Gary Gygax's World Builder, a collection of organized definitions, lists, tables and charts, (with Dan Cross) – (2003, ISBN-10: 193127522X); Volume III Gary Gygax's Living Fantasy, Everyday Life (2003, ISBN-10: 193127522X); Volume IV Gary Gygax's Book of Names by Malcolm Bowers (2004, ISBN-10: 1931275564); Volume V Gary Gygax's Insidiae by Dan Cross (2004, ISBN-10: 193127553X); Volume VI Gary Gygax's Nation Builder, by Michael J. Varhola (2005, ISBN-10: 1931275807); and Volume VII Gary Gygax's Cosmos Builder, by Richard T. Balsley (2006, ISBN-10: 1931275084).

Non-RPG games

Gygax was most prolific with role-playing games, but began with other types of table top games and continued to produce them. His work on rules for miniatures and table top battle games includes Cavaliers and Roundheads (English Civil War, with Jeff Perren), Chainmail (Medieval and Fantasy, with Jeff Perren), Classic Warfare (Ancient Period: 1500 BC to 500 AD), Don't Give Up The Ship! (Sailing Ship Battles c. 1700 to 1815, with Dave Arneson and Mike Carr), and Tractics (WWII to c. 1965, with Mike Reese & Leon Tucker). He wrote the foreword to the 2004 Skirmisher Publishing LLC edition of H.G. Wells' Little Wars.

Gygax developed several board games, including: Alexander the Great (Ancient, the Battle of Arbela) by Guidon Games and reprinted by Avalon Hill, and a Supplementary Kit called Alexander's Other Battles by Panzerfaust Publishing (1972); Baku (WW II, Extension of Avalon Hill's Stalingrad board wargame), Panzerfaust Publications' Crusader (Medieval, Battle of Ascalon) – Panzerfaust Publications; Dunkirk (World War II) – Guidon Games; Little Big Horn (Western) – TSR Hobbies, Inc.; and Dungeon! - TSR Hobbies, Inc.

Another of Gary Gygax's creations was Dragonchess, a three-dimensional fantasy chess variant, published in Dragon Magazine #100 (August 1985). It is played on three 8x12 boards stacked on top of each other - the top board represents the sky, the middle is the ground, and the bottom is the underworld. The pieces are characters and monsters inspired by the Dungeons and Dragons setting: King, Mage, Paladin, Cleric, Dragon, Griffin, Oliphant, Hero, Thief, Elemental, Basilisk, Unicorn, Dwarf, Sylph and Warrior.

Gary also worked on Fidchell[78], not to be confused with the historic board game of fidchell (various spellings) from Ireland.

Literature

Gygax authored several fantasy novels, beginning with his Gord the Rogue epics. Gygax wrote three more novels, released under publisher Penguin/Roc: The Anubis Murders (1992, ISBN 0-451-45255-0), The Samarkand Solution (1993, ISBN 0-451-45240-2), and Death in Delhi (1993, ISBN 0-451-45244-5).

Gygax worked on the Sagard the Barbarian Books (HEROES CHALLENGE Gamebook Series, co-author Flint Dille (with assistance from Ernie Gygax) - from Archway/Pocket books): The Ice Dragon (1985, ISBN 0-67155-487-5), The Green Hydra (1985, ISBN 0-67155-488-3), The Crimson Sea (1985, ISBN 0-67155-489-1), and The Fire Demon (1986, ISBN 0-67155-490-5). His other books work includes Role-Playing Mastery - instructional book, Perigee/Putnam (trade paperback bestseller, 1987, ISBN 0-39951-293-4); Master of the Game - sequel to Role-Playing Mastery from Perigee/Putnam (1989, ISBN 0-39951-293-4). Gygax also wrote a number of published short stories, including "At Moonset Blackcat Comes" (Fantasy short story featuring Gord the Rogue appearing in Dragon #100); "Pay Tribute" (Science Fiction short story in The Fleet anthology)l "Battle off Deadstar" (Science Fiction short story in Fleet Breakthrough anthology); "Celebration of Celene" (Fantasy short story published in Michael Moorcock’s Elric, Tales of the White Wolf anthology) - White Wolf, Inc., 1994; "Duty" (Fantasy short story in Excalibur, anthology) – Warner Books, 1995; "Get on Board the D Train" (Horror short story in Dante’s Disciples anthology) – White Wolf, Inc., 1996; and Evening Odds" (Fantasy short story with Gord the Rogue sharing Michael Moorcock’s Eternal Champions universe) – White Wolf, Inc., 1997.

Periodicals

Gygax's magazine work began with The Strategic Review (Tactical Studies Rules) newsletter, in which he was the primary author of entire magazine for each of the initial four issues, and a major contributor to the balance of all issues until Dragon came into print. He appeared in La Vivandiere (Palikar Publications), a defunct wargaming magazine, as a contributing author in 1974; his significant contributions include "Fantasy Wargaming and the Influence of J.R.R. Tolkien", in which he defends D&D's inclusion of non-Tolkien fantasy into the game. Gygax produced much work for Dragon Magazine, as an author from 1976 to 1985, the publisher from 1978 to 1981, and returning as a columnist from 1999 to 2004.[79] Gygax also appeared in Journeys Journal (GDW) as a contributor in each of six issues published through 1993, Mythic Masters (Trigee) magazine, as the primary author of the entire 64-page magazine for each of six issues published through 1994, Lejends (Total Reality Studios) magazine, as a major contributor from 2001 to 2003, and The Crusader magazine, with a column on the creation of the D&D game beginning in 2005.

Notes and references

  1. ↑ Gygax, Gary (March 1985), "On the influence of J.R.R. Tolkien on the D&D and AD&D games", Dragon (95): 12–13 : "A careful examination of the games will quickly reveal that the major influences are Robert E. Howard, L. Sprague de Camp and Fletcher Pratt, Fritz Leiber, Poul Anderson, A. Merritt, and H.P. Lovecraft."
  2. ↑ "Dungeons & Dragons FAQ". Wizards of the Coast. Archived from the original on 2008-10-03. Retrieved on 2008-10-03.
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 Allen Rausch. "Gary Gygax Interview - Part I (page 1)". GameSpy. IGN Entertainment, Inc.. Archived from the original on 2008-10-04. Retrieved on 2005-01-03.
  4. ↑ "Lejendary Adventure is a multi-genre roleplaying game created by Gary Gygax..."Smith, Christopher P.. "Gary Gygax presents Lejendary Adventure". Archived from the original on 2007-08-05. Retrieved on 2008-04-06.
  5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 5.3 5.4 "Gary Gygax", The Times (March 6, 2003). Retrieved on 2008-10-07. 
  6. ↑ 6.0 6.1 6.2 6.3 6.4 6.5 La Farge, Paul (September 2006). "Destroy All Monsters". The Believer Magazine. http://www.believermag.com/issues/200609/?read=article_lafarge. 
  7. ↑ 7.00 7.01 7.02 7.03 7.04 7.05 7.06 7.07 7.08 7.09 7.10 7.11 7.12 7.13 Kushner, David. "Dungeon Master: The Life and Legacy of Gary Gygax". Wired.com. Retrieved on 2008-10-16.
  8. ↑ "Gary Gygax", The Economist (March 13, 2008). Retrieved on 2008-10-07. 
  9. ↑ 9.00 9.01 9.02 9.03 9.04 9.05 9.06 9.07 9.08 9.09 9.10 Sacco, Ciro Alessandro. "The Ultimate Interview with Gary Gygax". thekyngdoms.com. Retrieved on 2008-10-24.
  10. ↑ 10.0 10.1 Parker, Laura (2008-03-07). "Gary Gygax: Founding father of fantasy computer games and co-creator of Dungeons & Dragons", The Guardian. Retrieved on 2008-10-07. 
  11. ↑ Gygax, Gary. "Gary Gygax (Interview)". TheOneRing.net. Retrieved on 2008-10-07.
  12. ↑ 12.0 12.1 12.2 12.3 "The History of TSR (1966 * International Federation of Wargamers formed by Gary Gygax and other wargamers.)". Wizards of the Coast. Archived from the original on 2008-10-04. Retrieved on 2005-08-20.
  13. ↑ Miller II, Stanley A. (August 3, 2002). "Gen gone: Next year, gamers will be draggin' their tales to Indiana prairie", Journal Sentinel. Retrieved on 2008-10-22. 
  14. ↑ 14.0 14.1 14.2 14.3 14.4 14.5 14.6 14.7 Gary Gygax, "LONG BIOGRAPHY of E(rnest) GARY GYGAX", revision 6-05, ©2005
  15. ↑ Allen Rausch. "Gary Gygax Interview - Part I (page 2)". GameSpy. IGN Entertainment, Inc.. Archived from the original on 2008-10-04. Retrieved on 2005-01-03.
  16. ↑ Staff (2008-03-05). "Dungeons & Dragons co-creator Gary Gygax dies at 69; mapped out role-playing game in 1974", International Herald Tribune. Retrieved on 2008-10-12. 
  17. ↑ 17.0 17.1 17.2 "Chainmail". The Acaeum. The Acaeum. Archived from the original on 2008-10-03. Retrieved on 2008-10-03.
  18. ↑ Schick, Lawrence (1991). Heroic Worlds: A History and Guide to Role-Playing Games. Prometheus Books. ISBN 0-87975-653-5. 
  19. ↑ Gygax, Gary, and Dave Arneson. Dungeons & Dragons (3-Volume Set) (TSR, 1974, ISBN unknown)
  20. ↑ Kask, Tim. "GROGNARDIA: Interview: Tim Kask (Part I)". Grognardia.blogspot.com. Retrieved on 2008-10-19.
  21. ↑ Gygax, Gary and Robert Kuntz. Supplement I: Greyhawk (TSR, 1975, ISBN unknown)
  22. ↑ Gygax, Gary and Brian Blume. Supplement III: Eldritch Wizardry (TSR, 1976, ISBN unknown)
  23. ↑ Gygax, Gary and Brian Blume. Supplement V: Swords & Spells (TSR, 1976, ISBN unknown)
  24. ↑ Gygax, Gary. Players Handbook (TSR, 1978, ISBN 0-935696-01-6)
  25. ↑ Gygax, Gary. Dungeon Master's Guide (TSR, 1979, ISBN 0-935696-02-4)
  26. ↑ Gygax, Gary. Monster Manual (TSR, 1977, ISBN 0-935696-00-8)
  27. ↑ Gygax, Gary. Monster Manual II (TSR, 1983, ISBN 0-88038-031-4)
  28. ↑ Gygax, Gary. Unearthed Arcana (TSR, 1985, ISBN 0-88038-084-5)
  29. ↑ Gygax, Gary, Dave Cook, Francois Froideval. Oriental Adventures (TSR, 1985, ISBN 0-88038-099-3)
  30. ↑ Gygax, Gary. The Keep on the Borderlands (TSR, Inc., 1979, ISBN 0-935696-47-4)
  31. ↑ Gygax, Gary. Descent into the Depths of the Earth (TSR, 1981, ISBN 0-935696-60-1)
  32. ↑ Gygax, Gary. Vault of the Drow (TSR, 1978, ISBN 0-935696-07-5)
  33. ↑ Gygax, Gary (1983). Dungeonland. EX1. World of Greyhawk: TSR, Inc.. pp. 32. 9072. ISBN 0-935696-50-4. http://www.wizards.com/dnd/article.asp?x=dnd/dx20020121x8. 
  34. ↑ Gygax, Gary (1983). The Land Beyond the Magic Mirror. EX2. World of Greyhawk: TSR, Inc.. pp. 32. 9073. ISBN 0-88038-025-X. http://www.wizards.com/dnd/article.asp?x=dnd/dx20020121x8. 
  35. ↑ Gygax, Gary. Against the Giants (TSR, 1981, ISBN 0-935696-59-8)
  36. ↑ Sutherland III, David C, and Gygax, Gary. Queen of the Demonweb Pits (TSR, 1980, ISBN 0-935696-20-2)
  37. ↑ Gygax, Gary. Tomb of Horrors (TSR, 1978, ISBN 0-935696-12-1)
  38. ↑ Gygax, Gary. Expedition to the Barrier Peaks (TSR, 1980, ISBN 0-935696-14-8)
  39. ↑ Gygax, Gary. The Lost Caverns of Tsojcanth (TSR, 1982, ISBN 0-935696-72-5)
  40. ↑ Gygax, Gary. The Village of Hommlet (TSR, 1979, ISBN-10: 0394511859)
  41. ↑ Gygax, Gary, and Frank Mentzer. The Temple of Elemental Evil (TSR, 1985, ISBN 0-88038-018-7)
  42. ↑ Gygax, Gary (1982). Forgotten Temple of Tharizdun. WG4. World of Greyhawk: TSR, Inc.. pp. 32. 9065. ISBN 0-88038-002-0. 
  43. ↑ Kuntz, Robert J.; Gary Gygax (1984). Mordenkainen's Fantastic Adventure. WG5. World of Greyhawk: TSR, Inc.. pp. 32. 9112XXX1401. ISBN 0-88038-168-X. 
  44. ↑ Gygax, Gary (1985). Isle of the Ape. WG6. World of Greyhawk: TSR, Inc.. pp. 48. 9153XXX1501. ISBN 0-88038-238-4. 
  45. ↑ Gygax, Gary. The World of Greyhawk (TSR, 1980, ISBN 0-935696-23-7)
  46. ↑ Gygax, Gary. World of Greyhawk Fantasy Game Setting (TSR, 1983, ISBN 0-88038-344-5)
  47. ↑ Sacco, Ciro Alessandro (2 2007). "An Interview with Gary Gygax, Part I" (PDF). OD&Dities issue 9 7. Richard Tongue. Retrieved on 2007-11-09.
  48. ↑ Rausch, Allen (2004-08-16). "Gary Gygax Interview - Part 2". Gamespy. Retrieved on 2006-07-05.
  49. ↑ Rausch, Allen (2004-08-16). "Gary Gygax Interview - Part 2 (page 1)". GameSpy. IGN Entertainment, Inc.. Archived from the original on 2008-10-04. Retrieved on 2008-10-03.
  50. ↑ 50.0 50.1 Sullivan, Patricia (March 5, 2008). "E. Gary Gygax; Co-Creator Of Dungeons & Dragons", Washington Post. Retrieved on 2008-10-17. 
  51. ↑ Gary Gygax (posting as "Col_Pladoh"). "Q&A With Gary Gygax, Part V". Dragonsfoot Forums 8. Archived from the original on 2008-10-04.
  52. ↑ "Dungeons & Dragons co-creator Gary Gygax dies at 69". WKBT-La Crosse, Wisconsin (2008-03-04). Archived from the original on 2008-10-04. Retrieved on 2008-03-04.
  53. ↑ Rausch, Allen (2004-08-16). "Gary Gygax Interview - Part 2 (page 3)". GameSpy. IGN Entertainment, Inc.. Archived from the original on 2008-10-04. Retrieved on 2008-10-03.
  54. ↑ Kaplan, Eric : "Bender's Game" DVD, Features: "D&D&F" (Dungeons & Dragons & Futurama), 20th Century Fox Film Corporation, 2008.
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  59. ↑ "Molecular and Morphological Characterization of Ten Polar and Near-Polar Strains within the Oscillatoriales (Cyanobacteria)", by Dale A. Casamatta, Jeffrey R. Johansen, Morgan L. Vis, and Sharon T. Broadwater, Journal of Phycology, 2005
  60. ↑ Number 1: Gary Gyrax: "Cocreator of Dungeons & Dragons and father of role-playing games.
    Defining nerd moment: With a last name that sounds like a barbarian warrior from space, is it any wonder this guy invented the 20-sided die? Between 1977 and 1979, Gygax released Advanced Dungeons & Dragons for advanced dorks, taking the cult phenomenon to new heights whilst giving himself a +5 salary of lordly might.    " Sync Magazine, December/January 2004/05
  61. ↑ SFX Magazine March (#128) 2005
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  68. ↑ "World of Warcraft Client Patch 2.4.0". Blizzard Entertainment. Archived from the original on 2008-03-26. Retrieved on 2008-03-26.
  69. ↑ "In Remembrance: Gary Gygax (1938 - 2008)". Electronic Arts. Archived from the original on 2008-04-06. Retrieved on 2008-03-30.
  70. ↑ Lees, Jennie (2008-03-15). "DDO Q&A: Mod 7, the Monk and more". Massively.com. Weblogs, Inc.. Archived from the original on 2008-10-31. Retrieved on 2008-10-30.
  71. ↑ Zenke, Michael (2008-05-28). "DDO Q&A: Mod 7, the Monk and more". Massively.com. Weblogs, Inc.. Archived from the original on 2008-10-31. Retrieved on 2008-10-30.
  72. ↑ http://www.comedycentral.com/colbertreport/videos.jhtml?videoId=156302 "RIP Gary Gygax", Colbert Report, March 5, 2008
  73. ↑ Blume, Brian, and Gary Gygax. Boot Hill (TSR; 1st edition, 1975, no ISBN; 2nd edition, 1979, ISBN 0-394-51875-6; 3rd edition, 1990, ISBN 0-88038-976-1)
  74. ↑ Gygax, Gary, and Dave Arneson [1974], edited by J. Eric Holmes. Dungeons & Dragons Basic Set (TSR, 1977, ISBN unknown)
  75. ↑ Mentzer, Frank and Gary Gygax. The Book of Marvelous Magic (TSR, 1984, ISBN 0-88038-192-2)
  76. ↑ Reynolds, Sean K, and Gary Gygax (1999). Against the Giants: The Liberation of Geoff TSR, 1999, ISBN 0-7869-1413-0)
  77. ↑ Gygax, Gary, Frank Mentzer, and Kim Mohan. Cyborg Commando (New Infinities, Inc., 1987, ISBN unknown)
  78. ↑ Fidchell, The Chess Variant Pages, accessed August 19, 2005
  79. ↑ . The Dragon (TSR Hobbies, Inc.) Vol. II (13–24,26–48). April 1978 – April 1981. 

External links

Persondata
NAME Gygax, Ernest Gary
ALTERNATIVE NAMES Gygax, Gary
SHORT DESCRIPTION American writer and game designer
DATE OF BIRTH July 27 1938
PLACE OF BIRTH Chicago, Illinois, United States
DATE OF DEATH March 4 2008
PLACE OF DEATH Lake Geneva, Wisconsin