Alternate article title: Gary Gygax Fails Saving Throw Against Croaking

If you’re a nerd like me, the name Gary Gygax means something – the reason you didn’t get laid in high school. There’s almost nothing less cool than tabletop gaming, and Gary Gygax is the guy who brought that concept to hundreds of thousands of dweebs across America. Gygax was one of the main guys who created the Dungeons & Dragons game system, one of the most ubiquitous role playing games of all time. D&D went on to be a multi-media… well, I don’t want to say empire, but how about vigorous city-state? The game itself is in its fourth edition, which has been recently getting reviewed by Aint It Cool News in an epic and mystifying series. Maybe that’s what killed Gary.

Actually, according to a posting at the Troll Lord forums, Gygax died in his home this morning. Troll Lord is apparently the company where Gygax went on to develop new games, and the announcement comes from one of the officials there.

Best of luck to Gary in the higher planes, or if he’s rerolling his character may he get a whole bunch of natural 18s. Today the world got a little bit less nerdy. I wonder if Marlon Wayans will be at his funeral.