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.

 

[Wolfram stout]

So, unimportant question here, do we think that Musk's tweet will catch the eye of any of the late night host? I could maybe see Colbert mentioning it or Tomlinson making a bit about it.

 

[billd91]

Also, regarding:
View attachment 386993

A more charitable interpretation could be he was cognizant of how that was going to be taken by Women's Lib, but since it was based on Tiamat, a female dragon, he was sticking with it.

That does not seem to be the case:

D&D Historian Benn Riggs On Gary Gygax & Sexism

The recent book The Making of Original Dungeons & Dragons 1970-1977 talks about the early years of D&D. In the book, authors Jon Peterson and Jason Tondro talk about the way the game, and its writers, approached certain issues. Not surprisingly, this revelation received aggressive "pushback" on...

www.enworld.org

 

[Ruin Explorer]

So, unimportant question here, do we think that Musk's tweet will catch the eye of any of the late night host? I could maybe see Colbert mentioning it or Tomlinson making a bit about it.

If they do I hope it's someone nerdy enough or with good enough researchers that they can find and show Gygax's whole "I'm a sexist and proud" rant.

 

[Vaalingrade]

So, unimportant question here, do we think that Musk's tweet will catch the eye of any of the late night host? I could maybe see Colbert mentioning it or Tomlinson making a bit about it.

I'd put money on Colbert picking it up since he's always commenting on nerd news and is a D&D player himself. Even money it shows up on Internet Today where Musk is just a regular in their rogue's gallery, but beyond that, I think it's too niche for anyone else to care about because regular folks have absolutely no grounding as to what the issue is about or whether D&D has a history prior to 2020 and the 1980's with nothing in between.

 

[Jahydin]

That does not seem to be the case:

D&D Historian Benn Riggs On Gary Gygax & Sexism

The recent book The Making of Original Dungeons & Dragons 1970-1977 talks about the early years of D&D. In the book, authors Jon Peterson and Jason Tondro talk about the way the game, and its writers, approached certain issues. Not surprisingly, this revelation received aggressive "pushback" on...

www.enworld.org

Oh, neat!

It's not really a stretch to think he might have had Tiamat in mind even if it wasn't written down, but that was still a fun read.

 

[AnotherGuy]

This thread reminds me of Piers Morgan...

 

[AnotherGuy]

So the right wing gets to spout hatred and incite violence ("burn in hell" is not merely a metaphor, it is a threat and harkens to witch burnings and cross burnings and hangings), but those who find social oppression infuriating have to be diplomatic and friendly. It's part of what allows them to keep moving the goal posts.

Goodness, who are the people who don't find social oppression infuriating?

 

[abirdcall]

It wasn't just a product of his time, it's a product of our time too.

There is a lot worse going on right now that is championed and when we look back on it, we will hear the same 'it was just the culture of the time.'

We aren't quibbling over what was the best language to use, the ideas were gross, just as gross as they are today.

By the standards of 'knowing' employed in 'they didn't know better' they still don't. Otherwise we wouldn't be here.

 

[Ruin Explorer]

Goodness, who are the people who don't find social oppression infuriating?

Well, Elon Musk, evidently.

 

[Morrus]

This. Very much so. And then on top of these smoke and mirrors we see other methods of the right wing debate strategy in this thread. We are being told by the defenders that we must be nuanced and civil and not wrathful. Even though...my goodness, look at the statement that sparked this entire thread. Musk was neither nuanced nor civil and was clearly wrathful. So the right wing gets to spout hatred and incite violence ("burn in hell" is not merely a metaphor, it is a threat and harkens to witch burnings and cross burnings and hangings), but those who find social oppression infuriating have to be diplomatic and friendly. It's part of what allows them to keep moving the goal posts.

To be clear, while we can't control what Elon Musk posts on his own platform, if he were to post here he would be required to be civil, just like everybody else. We are never going to let this community turn into Twitter or the YouTube comments section, and that is enforced via strictly enforced behavioural conduct rules which apply to everybody. We'll never subscribe to the concept that people who are on the 'right' side shouldn't be 'tone policed' because they are right, or that they shouldn't respect the venue they are in. Even people who think they are right (which is everybody). Because the alternative is simple: the venue goes away. And then you're back to shouting on Twitter or the YouTube comments.