Historical Importance...D&D

Hello...

This is a question, that could be answer here by this wonderful forum, since it is reaches a wide spectrum.

Does anyone here, know of the very first female player to play D&D...and survived...err...maybe the wrong choice of wording.

But I am curious to know...

Thank you.

I know of three I use to DM and play with back in 78! They were not the first but I would think this is a question for Col_Pladoh, maybe he will let you know.

I would imagine it was Gary's daughter Elise. I think that is her name, the Col. can smack me if I am wrong.

For that matter, I think it was Cindy (or Heidi?) who named the game itself!!

(The young lady in question picked two alliterative names out of a list, according to Gary.)

The ancient Romans. Remember those diece they found a while back...?

Elise and Ernie ran the first PCs in Gary's very first game session.

Elise played a Cleric. She may have been named Ahlissa, but I can't confirm for certain.

Ernie played some Magic-user named "Tenser", or something.

And Cindy Gygax did indeed choose the names "Dungeons" and "Dragons" from a two lists provided by her Pop.

(which makes one wonder, where's her credit in the rulesbooks?)

AFAIK Bregh's answer is technically correct, BUT Elise is reported to have not particularly enjoyed the game and to have played rarely (if ever) thereafter. I believe the first long-term/successful female D&D player was Mary Dale. I wasn't there but I've read enough histories of the game to have picked a lot of this stuff up. I'm sure the good Colonel would be more than happy to give a definitive answer.

Were there any women in Arneson's Blackmoor campaign?

Here are some guesses at possible candidates based solely on TSR products:

Judy Kerestan?
Laurie Van De Graaf?
Jean Wells?
Helen Cook?
Jolan Moldvay?
Rebecca Moldvay?

That's all assuming, of course, that Elise Gygax doesn't count because she didn't stick with the hobby.

This is a list I have of all the initial players and their characters. The only female in this group is "Tasha" of the Hideous Laughter spell, but her true identity is unknown, as far as I know.


Mordenkainen - Gary Gygax
Bigby - Gary Gygax
Zigby - Gary Gygax - Gary's Dwarf Fighter
Riggby - Gary Gygax
Yrag - Gary Gygax
Otiluke - Luke Gygax - A combination of PCs played by Luke Gygax
Melf - Luke Gygax
Tenser - Ernie Gygax - "Ernest"
Serten - Ernie Gygax - "Ernest"
Otto - Rob Kuntz
Robilar - Rob Kuntz
Terik - Terry Kuntz - Rob Kuntz's brother
Drawmij - Jim Ward - not an actual PC
Rary - Brian Blume - A low-level PC played by Brian ("Medoium Rary")
Tasha - N/A - Named for a young girl who began writing Gary in crayon at about age five, eventually submitted the spell named for her

Heward - Hugh E. Burdick - An NPC based upon a cousin of Gary's
Murlynd - Don Kaye - Don Kaye started TSR with Gary G. and Brian Blume, and passed away shortly thereafter.
Nystul - Brad Nystul - B. Nystul was a stage magician, in fact!
Leomund - Len Lakofka
Evard - A name created for dramatic purposes
Keoghtom - A dramatic persona for an old friend deceased when Gary wrote the game
Xagyg Yragernae - NPC, an anagram of Gary's name.

If Col_Pladoh does drop in, I'd like to know who played:
Lum the Mad
Kwallish