History Creator / GaryGygax

[[Creator/{{TSR}} TSR Inc.]] flourished off of the game, leading to multiple game modules, many alternate universes (TabletopGame/{{Greyhawk}}, TabletopGame/{{Planescape}}, TabletopGame/DarkSun, TabletopGame/ForgottenRealms, Literature/{{Dragonlance}}, TabletopGame/{{Eberron}}...), eventually even a [[WesternAnimation/DungeonsAndDragons cartoon adaptation]] and [[Film/DungeonsAndDragons a few movies]]. However, eventually TSR fell under new management, causing him to leave the company. He continued to work on new tabletop [=RPG=]s and write novels afterwards, and remained affiliated with his original creation all his life. In March of 2008, Gygax died at the age of 69, and gamers the world over lost their saving throw against mourning.

# A [[TabletopGame/TombOfHorrors sadistic]] and [[TabletopGame/TempleOfElementalEvil crazy]] man who liked watching people squirm.

* Had a posthumous cameo in ''Webcomic/TheOrderOfTheStick''.

* Had a posthumous cameo in ''Webcomic/OrderOfTheStick''.

** The BonusBoss of ''VideoGame/BaldursGate 2'' is named Kangaxx. And, while not based on D&D anymore, ''VideoGame/DragonAgeOrigins'' featured a BonusBoss Gaxkang, who's a reference to both Kangaxx and Gygax.

->''"Greetings! It's a-- ''[rolls two ten-sided dice]'' '''pleasure''' to meet you!"''

->''"Greetings! It's a-- ''(rolls two ten-sided dice)'' '''pleasure''' to meet you!"''

Back in the day, there were no [[TabletopRPG Role-Playing Games]]. None. Only [[WarGaming tabletop war games]]. Gygax (yes, despite sounding like the name of someone's own PC, that was [[AwesomeMcCoolname his actual last name) didn't like that at all, so he asked his friend Dave Arneson to make one. Arneson rewrote all of the rules to ''Chainmail'', a system that Gygax and the local shop owner Jeff Perren had developed, to create ''Blackmoor'', the first tabletop RPG. Gygax then, along with Arneson, worked to expand this from a simple add-on to ''Chainmail'' to its own system entirely. And thus, ''TabletopGame/DungeonsAndDragons'' was born.

Back in the day, there were no [[TabletopRPG Role-Playing Games]]. None. Only [[WarGaming tabletop war games]]. Gygax didn't like that at all, so he asked his friend Dave Arneson to make one. Arneson rewrote all of the rules to ''Chainmail'', a system that Gygax and the local shop owner Jeff Perren had developed, to create ''Blackmoor'', the first tabletop RPG. Gygax then, along with Arneson, worked to expand this from a simple add-on to ''Chainmail'' to its own system entirely. And thus, ''TabletopGame/DungeonsAndDragons'' was born.

** The name of the prominent wizard Tenser, creator of spells such as ''Tenser's Floating Disc'', is an anagram of "Ernest".

Ah, good old '''Ernest Gary Gygax''' (July 27, 1938 -- March 4, 2008). Where would we be without thee? Probably somewhere else, given the sheer different forms of media (and with them, a very large number of tropes) that originated from his work.

TSR Inc. flourished off of the game, leading to multiple game modules, many alternate universes (TabletopGame/{{Greyhawk}}, TabletopGame/{{Planescape}}, TabletopGame/DarkSun, TabletopGame/ForgottenRealms, Literature/{{Dragonlance}}, TabletopGame/{{Eberron}}...), eventually even a [[WesternAnimation/DungeonsAndDragons cartoon adaptation]] and [[Film/DungeonsAndDragons a few movies]]. However, eventually TSR fell under new management, causing him to leave the company. He continued to work on new tabletop [=RPG=]s and write novels afterwards, and remained affiliated with his original creation all his life. In March of 2008, Gygax died at the age of 69, and gamers the world over lost their saving throw against mourning.

** The ''Futurama'' movie ''Bender's Game'', which references ''TabletopGame/DungeonsAndDragons'' heavily is dedicated to him. Gary Gygax died while the movie was in production.

* A few [[InMemoriam tribute to his death]] in webcomics:
** [[http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0536.html "A Brief Tribute"]] in ''Webcomic/TheOrderOfTheStick''. (Warning: [[TearJerker Prepare some kleenex]] just in case you're a sensitive or sentimental person; [[CrowningMomentOfHeartwarming It's that kind of strip.]])
** [[ChessWithDeath RPGing with Death]] in [[http://xkcd.com/393/ a strip]] of ''Webcomic/{{xkcd}}''.
** And a ''Webcomic/DorkTower'' [[http://www.dorktower.com/2008/03/05/ tribute comic]].

[[caption-width-right:350:"[[WesternAnimation/{{Futurama}} Anyone want to play Dungeons & Dragons for the next quadrillion years?]]"]]

[[quoteright:288:[[Webcomic/TheOrderOfTheStick http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/ootsgygax2_3346.png]]]]
[[caption-width-right:288:He speaks for us all.]]

-->-- '''Gary Gygax''' [[AsHimself (voicing himself)]], ''WesternAnimation/{{Futurama}}''

Ah, good old Ernest Gary Gygax. Where would we be without thee? Probably somewhere else, given the sheer different forms of media (and with them, a very large number of tropes) that originated from his work.

->''"Hello Fry, it's a-- ''(rolls two ten-sided dice) pleasure'' to meet you."''

->''"Hello Fry, it's a... ''(stops mid-sentence, rolls two ten-sided dice) pleasure'' to meet you."''
-->-- '''Gary Gygax''' (voicing himself), ''WesternAnimation/{{Futurama}}''

** The BonusBoss of ''VideoGame/BaldursGate 2'' is named Kangaxx.

Back in the day, there were no [[TabletopRolePlayingGames Role Playing Games]]. None. Only [[WarGaming tabletop war games]]. Gygax didn't like that at all, so he asked his friend Dave Arneson to make one. Arneson rewrote all of the rules to ''Chainmail'', a system that Gygax and the local shop owner Jeff Perren had developed, to create ''Blackmoor'', the first tabletop RPG. Gygax then, along with Arneson, worked to expand this from a simple add-on to ''Chainmail'' to its own system entirely. And thus, ''TabletopGame/DungeonsAndDragons'' was born.

TSR Inc. flourished off of the game, leading to multiple game modules, [[TabletopGame/{{Greyhawk}} many]] [[TabletopGame/{{Planescape}} many]] ''[[TabletopGame/DarkSun many]]'' '''[[TabletopGame/ForgottenRealms many]]''' [[Literature/{{Dragonlance}} alternate]] [[TabletopGame/{{Eberron}} universes]], and eventually even a [[WesternAnimation/DungeonsAndDragons cartoon adaptation]]. However, eventually TSR fell under new management, causing him to leave the company. He continued to work on new tabletop [=RPG=]s and write novels afterwards, and remained affiliated with his original creation all his life. In March of 2008, Gygax died at the age of 69, and gamers the world over lost their saving throw against mourning.

# A genius who is effectively the father of modern role playing.

* 1. [[CreatorWorship The god of gaming made flesh]]. [[invoked]]
* 2. A genius who is effectively the father of modern role playing.
* 3. A [[TabletopGame/TombOfHorrors sadistic]] and [[TabletopGame/TempleOfElementalEvil crazy]] man who liked watching people squirm.
* 4. All of the above.

TSR Inc. flourished off of the game, leading to multiple game modules, [[TabletopGame/{{Greyhawk}} many]] [[TabletopGame/{{Planescape}} many]] ''[[TabletopGame/DarkSun many]]'' '''[[TabletopGame/ForgottenRealms many]]''' [[Literature/{{Dragonlance}} alternate]] [[TabletopGame/{{Eberron}} universes]], and eventually even a [[WesternAnimation/DungeonsAndDragons cartoon adaptation]]. However, eventually TSR fell under new management, causing him to leave the company. He continued to work on new tabletop [=RPG=]s and write novels afterwards, and remained affiliated with his original creation all his life. In March of 2008, Gygax died at the age of 69.

->''"Hello Fry, it's a ... ''(stops mid-sentence, rolls two ten-sided dice) pleasure'' to meet you."''