A Gygaxian Tribute on GM’s Day

Today is has a three-fold meaning to me.  First and foremost, it is my daughter’s birthday!  So, Happy Birthday Izzy!  She brings special purpose to my life and makes every day exciting.

Today is also Game Master’s Day, where we celebrate all the hard work and dedication our own GM’s put into the game that provides us with so much entertainment and cherished memories.

Last, but not least, today is the anniversary of E. Gary Gygax’s death and his apotheosis into the pantheon of gaming deities, or at least hopefully passing on into whatever afterlife he subscribed to.

So today brings a mixture of life, death, and the fun I have traversing from the former to the latter.  In a way it reminds me of my mortality and encourages me to do more while I can.

So today I plan and doing something with my daughter that has something to do with gaming.  She loves boardgames and reading, so I might break out HeroQuest and let her move the pieces around the board fighting monsters (she LOVES the monsters!).  We’ll probably break out some games on Wii and Playstation that she like and I plan on wrapping up by reading some fantasy themed children’s books to her before bedtime.

I’d like to do something in remembrance of old E.G.G, but I think it may have to wait for this weekend when I can get some guys together.  I have an extreme dislike for Western (or at least American) practices of mourning.  It always seems like an occasion to feel sorry for ourselves and wallow in self-pity.  I instead like to celebrate.  We should celebrate his life and contributions to the community.

While I cannot say I ever played a game with Gary, I had spoken with him at length at several GenCons (the last time being at the Troll Lord Games booth about Castles & Crusades). He was a very approachable person and I felt he was very genuine. He never turned away a fan that wanted to say a few words or take some pictures. I am glad to have shared some time with Gary.

So in honor of E. Gary Gygax I want to run the original Tomb of Horrors and try to slay as many characters as I can, taking a shot every encounter, trap, and monster death and three for every character death (and see how far we get).

In closing this article, I would like to thank my very first regular GM and best friend, Shawn Neal, for running me in some of the best damned Ravenloft campaigns, ever.  I would also like to thank Mike Madden for being the DM I have sit under most in recent years, and working in everyone else’s schedule.  Finally, I want to thank Zach Edwards for currently running a no apologies, kick-ass Age of Worms campaign with Pathfinder.

EDIT: I should note that Uncle Bear is hosting the memorial for Gary today.

Listening to: Black Label Society – Mafia – Dirt on the Grave

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Giving Thanks for RPGness

Berin Kinsman of UncleBear wrote about Gaming Gratitude yesterday, where he expressed his appreciation for all the good things that has happened this year for him as a gamer.  He gave a call asking for his readers to express what gaming-related stuff they are thankful for.  Well we are all thankful that Berin is keeping our feed readers stocked with interesting articles, of course!

I did want to expand on my thankful comment at Berin’s, so I made a list of the things I am thankful for. Hopefully, by the time you are reading this, I will be napping after consuming large amounts of turkey, thus avoiding any unnecessary conversation with the in-laws.

• Kerri – My wife, for allowing me to indulge in my (what many consider childish) hobbies
• Izzy – My daughter, for inspiration and becoming my protege (“Get the monsters, daddy”)
• DnDCru – My gaming group, for allowing the maximum amount of fun that can be had gaming
• RPGBN – The RPG Bloggers Network, for new friendships, opportunities, and raising the bar
• OGL – The Open Gaming License, for allowing a plethora of gaming options
• Iosahedrons – The d20, for bringing so much joy (and sorrow) with its rolls
• Cthulhu – The Elder Evil, for leaving me with a little sanity
• E. Gary Gygax & Dave Arneson – The Creators, for making it all possible

And so when you are evoking your yearly ritual during this Thanksgiving, give thanks for the things that allow you to have fun and don’t forget to mention Gygax in your prayers, chants, invocations, and incantations.

Oh, one last thanks goes out to my readership (YOU) for supporting my hobby about a hobby!

Listening to: In Flames - Clayman – Satellites and Astronauts

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