The Hobbit Hole

So now it begins. Surely it would come to pass.

Gary Gygax is dead barely a week and we’re starting to see the backlash against Dungeons & Dragons as a game, in comparison to other games. And you know what, I agree with the author for the most part.

Let’s do a comparison.

Have you read Lord of the Rings? How many times did it take you to get past Tom Bombadil? What did you think of Tolkien’s descriptions of Lothlorien? Beautiful? Yes. Long-winded? Definitely.

The fact is that Professor Tolkien wasn’t the best high fantasy writer. But he was the first. Or at least the first successful one. The funny thing is that if Tolkien were to write Lord of the Rings today, it probably wouldn’t be published.

Don’t get me wrong. I love Tolkien’s work, but partly because they were seminal. If I were to read some surly imitation today, I’d dismiss it as such, even though the plot, pacing, and dialogue could be “better constructed.”

And so it is with Dungeons & Dragons. Sure, GURPS is a better system, and there are better systems than GURPS out there. One of the more interesting ones is Spirit of the Century/FATE. And what about Amber Diceless Roleplaying and Donjon? Both very advanced in RPG theory over D&D.

I guess this is my devil’s advocacy bit for Dungeons & Dragons, and all the geeks who will see the bile come forth about how D&D really is the primitive system it is. And you know what? That’s fine with me. Sometimes the first really is the best.

Gary Gygax is dead.

The creator of the passtime that involved me and so many of my friends is gone. I spent many, many hours within the realms he helped forge.

I met him on several occasions, usually at GenCon. He was always affable and enjoyed hearing about fans’ characters and adventures. I know his reputation was somewhat diminished by failings at TSR and rumors of business improprieties, but he never lost the love for the game he helped create.

Every significant friend I have, and many, many acquaintances, I met through the game Dungeons & Dragons. I even met my wife through her brother whom I met at a D&D game. My kids play D&D. The game got me out of some nasty habits I had developed as a kid. The scope of its influence in my life is immense, behind only family, computers, and religion.

Man, I just want to go play some D&D and meet up with that diety from the Happy Hunting Grounds, one E. Gary Gygax.