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But now I'm mourning my inability to go even more this year.
We so wished you could have been there. It was the kind of fun and joy that only increased with the sharing.
And incidentally to those reading this, I was just glancing over my comments about Piratecat in the story above and wanted it to be perfectly clear that they are all tongue in cheek. I absolutely adore Piratecat (in a largely platonic way) and I got to spend more time at GenCon with him this year than ever before. Spending half the day with him yesterday (plus brunch with Morrus) was a sheer delight. My affection for him is such that if anything were to ever happen to him...I'd even be willing to marry his widow.*
* Kindly don't mention that part to my wife just yet though.
But now I'm mourning my inability to go even more this year.
You and me both. They get to play with E.G.G., we get to ride herd on the rush from a major news announcement. Apparently in a past life, I just wasn't that nice a person, or something.
And hey, even better than the shield - P-cat didn't name the mule, "Rel"...
“It only surprised me up until around 1977, ... I had thought we were going to have a considerable audience of gamers and science fiction and fantasy fans. I thought easily with those we'd have 50,000 or more [buyers], but when people began to write me [with questions] about what fantasy books to read, and I saw the wide range of both younger and older people who were attracted to the game, I understood that it was reaching a deeper chord, something deep within us.” – E. Gary Gygax (July 27, 1938 – March 4, 2008)
Thank you so much for this story. Truly remarkable. Gary Gygax is a treasure.
I had the honor to sit next to Gary for about an hour and a half on Friday as he signed copies of his new Planet Stories novel, The Anubis Murders. Pretty much the whole time, gamers approached him to thank him for changing their lives for the better. People talked about how they met their wife because of Dungeons & Dragons, how it helped them to read and imagine as children, and how the game brought them to some of their best friends.
It was amazing. Everyone had a story, and everyone was humbled to get the chance to shake his hand. Gary was gracious as could be, happy to share a story about Dave Trampier painting himself onto every face of the 1e Player's Handbook (except for the guy in the middle on the back cover, who is Gary himself!). Happy to listen to stories about favorite characters or campaigns.
Not happy, as it happens, to sign Daigle's , but I suppose every man has his limits.
The best moment by far was, an hour into this parade of happiness and humility, a guy comes up and looks over our Planet Stories line. "Would you like to have a book autographed by Mr. Gygax?" I asked.
The guy looks at the book, looks at Gary blankly, and says "I'm not familiar with your work. I'll have to look it up."
Gary crumples his face a little bit and, with a gruff chuckle, says "Try DUNGEONS & DRAGONS!"
Nimrod flashes a defeated look and slinks off into the crowd, his eyes on the floor where they belong.
So many amazing things happened at this Gen Con that I've already forgotten half of them. But I'll remember that hour and a half with Gary Gygax for the rest of my life.
OK, enough mushy stuff -- let's get down to serious business: I want to know much more about these dungeon carts. How much did you have to pay for it (100 GP like the "cart" listed in the rulebook? that seems like a lot)? How much loot did it carry? How were you able to get it down (and, perhaps more importantly, back up) the stairs? Did two people have to pick the thing up and carry it? How fast were you able to move while dragging it? We Gary-deprived OD&D gamers need to know!
__________________ "AD&D is designed to be an amusing and diverting pastime, something which can fill a few hours or consume endless days, as the participants desire, but in no case something to be taken too seriously." - Gary Gygax (DMG, 1979)
"There are people who regard the RPG as something more than an amusing game, more than a most entertaining hobby. They really do need to get a life" - Gary Gygax (EN World, 2004)
Me: "Hey Cleric, can I get some healing?"
Henry: "I'm saving it for a desperate situation."
Me: "Like what?"
Henry: "Like if I get hurt."
Incidentally, fate struck him down for his brashness. He had two healing spells, each of which cured 1d6+1. He used both on himself.
Spell 1? He rolled a 1.
Spell 2? He rolled a 1!
So two spells cured only 4 hp, which isn't much when you kick open a door and find yourself staring at a whole lot of crossbows...
__________________ - Piratecat, EN World Admin
Currently editing the 4e War of the Burning Sky adventure path. Support EN Publishing, get excellent modules!
Incidentally, fate struck him down for his brashness. He had two healing spells, each of which cured 1d6+1. He used both on himself.
Spell 1? He rolled a 1.
Spell 2? He rolled a 1!
So two spells cured only 4 hp, which isn't much when you kick open a door and find yourself staring at a whole lot of crossbows...
See, clearly me geeking out about sitting next to Gary was throwing me off my game. Cuz if I'd been ON my game then I would have said, "Henry, St. Cutbert called and he said to tell you 'PWND!"
I am so jealous ... where's that EN World mod application again?
Actually, I'm doubly jealous, not knowing that Gary would be there signing stuff. My 1974 Vol I OD&D rulebook is autographed by Dave Arneson, and I want to get Gary's signature on it, too. Had I know he was scheduled, I would have sent it on with an EN Worlder.
__________________ "The Soul of D&D?It's rolling a natural 20 when you're down to 3 hit points and the cleric's on the floor and you're staring that sunnavabitch bugbear right in his bloodshot eye and holding the line just long enough to let the wizard unleash a fireball at the guards who are on their way, because they're all that stands between you, the Foozle and Glory." - WizarDru
" - Gary Gygax (EN World, 2004)
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