My G+ group is playing tonight, like every Friday.  I'm sure they'll get a Gygax Birthday XP bump in their stockings or something.

In true Gygaxian style, they're delving into some nasty catacombs and going to try to kill a wraith while woefully under-armed.  Should be classic.

Well, sitting in my store.  A few minutes ago I was chatting with an eighteen year old female university student who's started playing D&D with her friends.  It gives me hope for the future you know.  Not as much as the twenty year old die hard GURPS girl I met at the comic shop last week but hope none the less.

I have news for you, the future of roleplaying is coming, they grew up on Harry Potter and the Lord of the Rings movies and they don't want to spend all day in the basement playing fps games.  They are girls and they are on their way.  And, I suspect they don't give a crap about sexism in gaming.

My oldest son is now playing a biweekly game of 4e with some other middleschoolers (male and female) at the library. However, he bought a MTG starter set today, so who knows where this will all end.

Happy Birthday Gary Gygax!

2 days ago I saw the Futurama episode where Gygax voiced himself.  I didn't realize that his birthday was approaching until I saw this thread.

Hopefully by August Amazon gets the 1E DMG to me.  I'm eager to experience his writing style for myself.

Quote from: David Johansen;565455Well, sitting in my store.  A few minutes ago I was chatting with an eighteen year old female university student who's started playing D&D with her friends.  It gives me hope for the future you know.  Not as much as the twenty year old die hard GURPS girl I met at the comic shop last week but hope none the less.

I have news for you, the future of roleplaying is coming, they grew up on Harry Potter and the Lord of the Rings movies and they don't want to spend all day in the basement playing fps games.  They are girls and they are on their way.  And, I suspect they don't give a crap about sexism in gaming.

Awesomeness!

Happy Birthday, Uncle Gary!  We've come a long way since "You know what would make Chainmail more fun?"

(Off topic-ish)

Spoiler

I would guess they are more likely to ignore it with a shaking of the  head in disbelief, rather like the current age does with seances or  phrenology from the 20s.  For instance, I was skimming through a Powers  and Perils webpage the other day, and I chucked over the character  generation rules that had females of every race taking a penalty to  Strength.  Not just humans, every race.  I think that kind of race/gender based modification to characters will not survive beyond the next few years.

I liked and admired Gary Gygax, and obviously we all owe him a debt of gratitude.  However, I don't feel the need to turn his person into a quasi-religion.  I already have to commemorate the birth and death of a Buddha, and a Prophet, I don't really need to add a game designer to that list.

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Quote from: RPGPundit;565766I liked and admired Gary Gygax, and obviously we all owe him a debt of gratitude.  However, I don't feel the need to turn his person into a quasi-religion.  I already have to commemorate the birth and death of a Buddha, and a Prophet, I don't really need to add a game designer to that list.

RPGPundit

It doesn't have to be a "quasi-religion" thing.
But seeing as he was one of the guys who invented a game that invented RPGs, well it's just nice to give him a nod of respect.

Why is that such a big deal if someone posts a thread about someone that obviously a lot of people respect that people post nice comments about him?

I don't see anyone creating shrines or starting a religion over it and you don't HAVE commemorate his birth every year.
I just saw this thread and decided to post in it..  *shrug* Relax..

Quote from: RPGPundit;565766I liked and admired Gary Gygax, and obviously we all owe him a debt of gratitude.  However, I don't feel the need to turn his person into a quasi-religion.  I already have to commemorate the birth and death of a Buddha, and a Prophet, I don't really need to add a game designer to that list.

RPGPundit

I see it more as commemorating the death of a friend who liked games, personally.

Quote from: Benoist;565774I see it more as commemorating the death of a friend who liked games, personally.

Yes, this is how it is, though I would replace the word death with life.  The game went well last night.  They didn't make it to the dungeon I had made special for it, but the players chose their route, which still was full on D&D.

Well, it wasn't 'D&D' but we did game on his birthday.  Our Skype group played a session of our 5e Talislanta campaign.  Our group returned to the city-state of Dracarta and civilization after an excursion into the Volcanic Hills.  After wandering the Volcanic Hills following Sulath's (Sauran Shaman) draconic visions, we discovered a dying dragon under attack by half a dozen Araq.  We aid the elderly dragon and escort him to die at the Dragon Graveyard.  We discovered that the Dragon Graveyard was in the caldera of a volcano, and that it was already occupied by a group of living, not-dragon, humanoids; a Zandir necromancer and company.  In the ensuing fight one of our recent companions, a Sarista wanderer named Mahdi, was killed in the fight.  My character, a Dracartan Desert Scout named T'Sarma, nearly died in that fight as well; he scored a Full Success on his CON roll after being reduced below zero Hit Points, and was later healed by one of Sulath's healing spells.

After returning to Sulath's village and giving the Sauran Queen the location of the Dragon Graveyard to guard against further necromantic incursions, the group returned to Dracarta and comfort.  They ate, drank, bathed, and caroused for a few days.  They then booked passage on an airship to the city-state of Cymril.  After a few days of research there, the group booked passage on another airship bound for city of Zanth in the nation of Zandu.  Zanth is the home of one our companions, a Zandir wizard named Darocarr.

Good fun, good times.

The session I ran on Friday went pretty well - the PCs didn't find the 'ghost' they were looking for, but they got enough loot-haul to put several of them to second level (finally!).

I'm finding the level-pacing of online play an interesting challenge - shorter time-slots, really swingy hauls.  We'll see how it proceeds.

Quote from: danskmacabre;565768I don't see anyone creating shrines or starting a religion over it

Well you know, technically, they are trying to build a statue of him in his home town...

RPGPundit

Quote from: RPGPundit;566421Well you know, technically, they are trying to build a statue of him in his home town...

RPGPundit

The last time GenCon was held in Lake Geneva it probably doubled the population.  

Not saying he wouldn't deserve a statue, he does! Just noting that there are certainly some quasi-religious overtones to how some people (particularly certain old-schoolers) treat Gygax nowadays.

RPGPundit

Quote from: RPGPundit;566421Well you know, technically, they are trying to build a statue of him in his home town...

RPGPundit

So?  Doesn't make him a god or divine being.
I'd rather see a statue of him than some politician or whatever who I don't know of or care about.
Why not have a statue to one of the people who kicked off a game that's brought lots of pleasure to millions of people.