Elon Musk Calls for Wizards of the Coast to "Burn in Hell" Over Making of Original D&D Passages

Elon Musk, the owner of the app formerly known as Twitter, is calling on Wizards of the Coast and its parent company Hasbro to "burn in hell" for the publication of Making of Original Dungeons & Dragons. On November 21st, former gaming executive turned culture warrior Mark Hern posted several passages from Making of Original Dungeons & Dragons on Twitter, criticizing the book for providing context about some of the misogyny and cultural insensitivity found in early rulebooks. These passages were pulled from the foreword written by Jason Tondro, a senior designer for the D&D team who also worked extensively on the book. Hern stated that these passages, along with the release of the new 2024 Player's Handbook and Dungeon Master's Guide for D&D's "40th anniversary" (it is actually D&D's 50th anniversary) both "erased and slandered" Gary Gygax and other creators of Dungeons & Dragons.

In response, Musk wrote "Nobody, and I mean nobody, gets to trash E. Gary Gygax and the geniuses who created Dungeons & Dragons. What the [naughty word] is wrong with Hasbro and WoTC?? May they burn in hell." Musk had played Dungeons & Dragons at some point in his youth, but it's unclear when the last time he ever played the game.

Nobody, and I mean nobody, gets to trash E. Gary Gygax and the geniuses who created Dungeons & Dragons. What the [xxxx] is wrong with Hasbro and WoTC?? May they burn in hell.

- Elon Musk​

Notably, Making of Original Dungeons & Dragons contains countless correspondences and letters written by both Gygax and Dave Arneson, including annotated copies of early D&D rulesets. Most early D&D rules supplements as well as early Dragon magazines are also found in the book. It seems odd to contain one of the most extensive compliations of Gygax's work an "erasure," but it's unclear whether Hern or Musk actually read the book given the incorrect information about the anniversary.

Additionally, Gygax and Arneson are both credited in the 2024 Player's Handbook and Dungeon Master's Guide. The exact credit reads: "Building on the original game created by Gary Gygax and Dave Arneson and then developed by many others over the past 50 years." Wizards of the Coast also regularly collaborates with Gygax's youngest son Luke and is a participant at Gary Con, a convention held in Gygax's honor. The opening paragraph of the 2024 Player's Handbook is written by Jeremy Crawford and specifically lauds both Gygax and Arneson for making Dungeons & Dragons and contains an anecdote about Crawford meeting Gygax.

Musk has increasingly leaned into culture war controversies in recent years, usually amplifying misinformation to suit his own political agenda.

 

[Bedrockgames]

Ugh, not this again.

As a reminder, it's not just one quote. It's not just the random harlot table (or the good wife table, where you will get gossip, or accused falsely of ... sexual assault). And it's not just in the past.

Just as an FYI-

I have never personally succeeded in converting a female to the hobby, including all three of my daughters. They played and enjoyed it for some weeks or months, but lost interest thereafter.
Gygax, 2005.

As I have often said, I am a biological determinist, and there is no question that male and female brains are different. It is apparent to me that by and large females do not derrive the same inner satisfaction from playing games as a hobby that males do. It isn't that females can't play games well, it is just that it isn't a compelling activity to them as is the case for males.
Gygax, 2004.

That was here, on this website. And it's not out of context- check the links.

People are complicated. And most of us have a lot of good, and some bad. We should cherish the hobby he created, and joy he gave so many.

But that doesn't mean that because he made things that we like, that we reflexively pretend that facts aren't facts. He was complicated, and there are some things that cannot just be excuse as "of his time" since it went through the 2000s.

I love Gygax for what he gave me. But I'm not going to stick my head in the sand. It's always the case that great art is created by imperfect people.

And even with those quotes people are going to see different things reflected in them. And people are going to have different expectations of a man his age versus a man my age, or a man younger than myself (even in 2005 or 2004). Again, how much is being provocative, how much hyperbole, how much is literally him expressing clear worldview, etc. This is one of the reasons I mentioned both Frank Mentzer's and Heidi Gygax's defense (together they provide an interesting set of takes on what he has said over the years). Like I said, I am not trying to relitigate it. You and I have already debated these quotes and I gave my position already on what I thought of his different statements. My point is simply people are still going to disagree on what these statements mean in terms of his character, in terms of his intention, in terms of their significance and how problematic we should find them etc. I think the pain on both sides here comes when people insist we all must agree on this conclusion or that conclusion

 

[Bedrockgames]

Here is Heidi Gygax's statement:

 

[Snarf Zagyg]

And even with those quotes people are going to see different things reflected in them. And people are going to have different expectations of a man his age versus a man my age, or a man younger than myself (even in 2005 or 2004). Again, how much is being provocative, how much hyperbole, how much is literally him expressing clear worldview, etc. This is one of the reasons I mentioned both Frank Mentzer's and Heidi Gygax's defense (together they provide an interesting set of takes on what he has said over the years). Like I said, I am not trying to relitigate it. You and I have already debated these quotes and I gave my position already on what I thought of his different statements. My point is simply people are still going to disagree on what these statements mean in terms of his character, in terms of his intention, in terms of their significance and how problematic we should find them etc. I think the pain on both sides here comes when people insist we all must agree on this conclusion or that conclusion

Again, I respect his daughter for defending him. I mean, even though he isn't named and people are just trying to stir stuff up.

Seriously, you know that, right? It's an expensive book that only people like me would get. Why would Elon Musk care, other than riling people up.

Anyway, we have a lot of histories now. I recommend trying the recent podcast (I posted about it) or any of the more thoroughly documented histories of Gary Gygax. I think it's safe to say that he was a complicated person with flaws, And that some things (w/r/t his first marriage, for example) can be painful to learn.

That's why you appreciate a person for what they have made, and not try to confuse that with who they are.

 

[I'm A Banana]

In the Table Top RPG world WotC has no rivals only mice who feed on the crumbs from its plate.

Honestly the Forward was a huge mistake, it doesn't matter if Gygax had some backwards things, it picked a huge completely unneeded fight with a large part of the fan base that already believes rightly the current day WotC doesn't have enough respect enough for D&D creators of yore or the lore. There was no need to do it and it was a divisive mistake.

It'd be like Paramount putting out a statement that would he certain to be perceived by a large amount of the Trekkies as disrespecting Gene Roddberry, you just don't do it, period. Or Disney putting out an insulting screed about Walt Disney, George Lucas, or Stan Lee. You don't do those things, not if you don't enjoy the bad lash.

Big disagree. It's always a good idea to call out sexism. You should do it every day, until sexism doesn't exist anymore (so basically forever), and you can always fill your daily quota of calling it out by looking at people in history who did sexist things and pointing out how it was bad and sexist and noting how not to repeat those mistakes today. It's not enough to just stand silently in the wings and watch the awful people do awful things (or to see those awful things done in history and to excuse them or soften them).

None of those men are perfect. No human is, really, and that's OK. We shouldn't tie our identities to people who have created the things we love (just ask any trans Harry Potter fan). They're just people. They're complex, flawed, sometimes awful. The problem lies in wanting to believe that they were something more than human, just because they made something that resonated with you.

I wouldn't care that much if Tondo wasn't WotC employee, he's free to have his own opinions, but in an official capcity working for WotC it was just a bad idea that was needless. Why create all the drama?

The drama existed, and has existed, regardless of it being present in a book. The hobby still has significant issues with gender diversity, despite rather big gains in the last ten years or so.

it worries me that this is the same man who appears to be in charge of FR Setting Books, can we look forward to a Foreward attacking Ed Greenwood?

WotC needs to pick it's battles better.

Ed's not somehow above criticism, either, and if he declared himself an unapologetic sexist, I'd expect a 50 year retrospective of the Forgotten Realms to note that.

People need to stop tying their identities to their favored creator's moral character.

WotC needs to continue to call out toxic influences in the hobby when they spot them. THAT is fighting against real harm that D&D players face. Being silent only favors those who want a mythology instead of a history.

 

[Parmandur]

Again, I respect his daughter for defending him. I mean, even though he isn't named and people are just trying to stir stuff up.

Seriously, you know that, right? It's an expensive book that only people like me would get. Why would Elon Musk care, other than riling people up.

Anyway, we have a lot of histories now. I recommend trying the recent podcast (I posted about it) or any of the more thoroughly documented histories of Gary Gygax. I think it's safe to say that he was a complicated person with flaws, And that some things (w/r/t his first marriage, for example) can be painful to learn.

That's why you appreciate a person for what they have made, and not try to confuse that with who they are.

I will give a lot of the people responding, in terms of family or Rob Kuntz, the benefit of the doubt thst they didn't actually read the thing when they first came out woth a hot take...but thwt benefit can only go so far.

 

[Jahydin]

I'm certainly inclined to take the word of those closest to him then those taking snippets and stitching together they're own narrative.

I know he had a habit of sarcastically doubling down on controversial topics that gets taken out of context all the time, but when it comes to those that have actually interacted with him, I haven't heard anything negative. In fact, if it wasn't for his (and those other "misogynists" at TSR that worked close with him) encouragement, maybe we wouldn't have Shadowdark...

 

[Snarf Zagyg]

I will give a lot of the people responding, in terms of family or Rob Kuntz, the benefit of the doubt thst they didn't actually read the thing when they first came out woth a hot take...but thwt benefit can only go so far.

Well ... there was only one OD&D supplement that wasn't included. And it was the one Kuntz co-wrote with James Ward.

So I can imagine he might have already been primed to go off.

Kuntz ... let's just say that I remember that he recognized the hate in Ernie and tried to do something about it (which was awesome), but calling him mercurial doesn't do justice to how ... changeable he can be.

Further Snarf sayeth naught.

 

[Henadic Theologian]

I can't find the original post from Heidi, just other peoples screen shots so I am not comfortable posting it. The gist is she understands some of the criticisms, but also puts them in the context of their times (and she defends his character as a person and father---if I find the original post I will post it). But Mentzer's is here:

View attachment 386925

Here is Heidi Gygax's statement:

View attachment 386929

Well they absolutely wrecked Ben & Tondo very effectively. Taking quotes out if context to mislead folks in order to mislead folks while ignoring actual ACTIONS is unethical journalism. Context matters alot.

I hope Tondo has increased in wisdom since this embarrassing book.

 

[Henadic Theologian]

I'm certainly inclined to take the word of those closest to him then those taking snippets and stitching together they're own narrative.

I know he had a habit of sarcastically doubling down on controversial topics that gets taken out of context all the time, but when it comes to those that have actually interacted with him, I haven't heard anything negative. In fact, if it wasn't for his (and those other "misogynists" at TSR that worked close with him) encouragement, maybe we wouldn't have Shadowdark...
View attachment 386931

Another death blow to the Gygax is sexist narrative.

 

[FitzTheRuke]

Here is Heidi Gygax's statement:

View attachment 386929

People are conflating two totally separate things. Heidi's response here is to Ben Rigg's article entitled "...Gary Gygax was Sexist".

Elon Musk is tweeting (X-ing?) about the foreword to a book that doesn't call Gary a sexist. It talks about the work itself, and says that some of the things that a reader might find in it might look objectionable by today's standards. It IN NO WAY suggests that anyone should think less of any of the authors involved.

Two different things.