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.

 

[Parmandur]

Not really. It's more about offloading the pointless ceremonial part of government so the government can actually work. You guys have as much or more of a hereditary wealth culture (with families who have 10 times the wealth the royals do) and as much or more pomp and ceremony, just more 'modern' themed. But that's waaaay off topic for here, so I think it's best left there. Not an EN World topic.

Swinging it back on topic...somewhat...Elon Musk's official job title at Tesla is "Technoking"...no joke.

 

[Morrus]

I dunno. I've been to the UK, and got told a lot of "on this spot, 600 years ago, some lord you've never heard of stubbed his toe on some saint's day and this is the chapel he sat in and took off his boot."

Sure. Visitors seek those things out. And people fulfil that service for you. I've never been told anything like that, and I suspect I never will. In Rome, people dressed as centurions will try to get you to pay them for a photo.

 

[Ulorian - Agent of Chaos]

Don't get me wrong. I'm incredibly certain of my positions. And I can see how that might come across as righteousness masquerading as certainty. But I'm as much of a screw up as the next person. I -wrote- something that was pretty antisemitic without even realizing it. Thankfully I had access to people who didn't tolerate intolerance and called me out on it.

Once I understood, I changed my direction in my writing, entirely. Which is, of course, the appropriate response.

But I also can't and won't be held responsible for the version of me that other people create in their minds. No matter how close or far from the mark that version is.

We're good.

I don't know what the anti-semitic business was about, and this is the first I've heard of it. This is not your angle even remotely, I give no credence to it.

Yes, I'm aware of the certainty of your positions! I am also certain of my positions. Just pointing out the occasional juxtaposition between the two. There is nothing wrong with that in the least.

So, yup, we're good!

 

[darjr]

@darjr I see you added a sad face emoji to this post. Why is that?

Because you seemed distressed. It was in sympathy, I hope you understand.

 

[Ulorian - Agent of Chaos]

Or a sore chin. My dog had just headbutted me.

Effing dogs. Lovely as anything, but super stupid. Get a cat. I'm kidding, don't do that, they're terrible animals. My eldest has a cat... we're frenemies.

I say these things, but I'm sure there are pictures out there of us hugging.

 

[Ulorian - Agent of Chaos]

Because you seemed distressed. It was in sympathy, I hope you understand.

You are actually one of my favourite people on this board. You're quite lovely, despite what @Steampunkette says.

 

[Ulorian - Agent of Chaos]

You are actually one of my favourite people on this board. You're quite lovely, despite what @Steampunkette says.

You actually are! I was simultaneously laying some bait for a reaction... you've just been caught in the crossfire.

 

[Steampunkette]

I don't know what the anti-semitic business was about, and this is the first I've heard of it. This is not your angle even remotely, I give no credence to it.

Yes, I'm aware of the certainty of your positions! I am also certain of my positions. Just pointing out the occasional juxtaposition between the two. There is nothing wrong with that in the least.

So, yup, we're good!

I was writing a campaign setting based around the idea of generational wealth stagnating in the hands of elves and dwarves while halflings, goblins, and humans essentially acted as 'stand ins' for the current generation that has no hope of owning their own home.

But in the process I had gnomes turn into goblins after their deity was 'killed'. I was utterly unaware that this mimics a popular antisemitic talking point about the curse of Ham.

So I cut that line of writing and eventually shelved the project to do Sins of the Scorpion Age, instead.

 

[mamba]

I do not know enough about Musk to make that call with that one Tweet.

what rock have you been living under the past years, and is there room left?

 

[darjr]

@Ulorian - Agent of Chaos
Just note I don't necessarily agree with you. But I see where using that example could be triggering.