Gary Gygax, "Father of D&D", dies at age 69

For many in the SCA and other Middle Ages living history organizations, the first introduction to acting the part of someone from a medieval culture was a game of Dungeons and Dragons (D&D). Gary Gygax, one of the co-creators of D&D more than 30 years ago, died today after several years of declining health.

According to several published articles, Gygax loved to hear from fans of the game, and even hosted many fans at his own home. His wife, Gail, says that Gary remained an active D&D player until very recently, when his illness finally made it impossible.

D&D, created in 1974, was one of the earliest in the fantasy role-playing game genre, and is still enjoyed by many thousands of young and adult players around the world. The pre-industrial technology in D&D, and its fantasy elements of magic, elves, dwarves, and epic adventure, draw much inspiration from the works of J.R.R. Tolkien and other writers. In turn, D&D's table-top adventures have inspired players to want to learn what it is like to live in a pre-industrial world, and to join the SCA in order to learn more about real-world history.

The "original article" link below goes to the Associated Press story. There is also another story on BBC News.