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.

 

[Ulorian - Agent of Chaos]

On the contrary, it is this simple. People out themselves when they say bigoted things or self-identify as a bigot (typically using humor as an excuse to hide behind if the reaction to what they say is negative). We've got Gygax doing both. I choose to believe him.

Bigotry, racism, etc. are terrible things, and removing these things from the world is the duty of all people IMO. What you're doing here though... it's something different. The stance of purity you are taking. There is a difference between understanding what is right and acting towards that goal and demonising anyone who disagrees with you. Like, a really big difference.

Us and Them. This is the basis of the ills of the world, whether that be racism, classism, sexism. When you start seeing people who are different from you as objects of derision, or otherwise less human than you... no good comes of that.

 

[Ulorian - Agent of Chaos]

Your check didn't come yet?

Time to come clean. I AM George Soros. Sorry, chief, your cheque's in the mail.

 

[Ulorian - Agent of Chaos]

Incidentally, this is what makes two-way ignore so effective as well.

Loved your post, disagreed with this part. Ignore is the worst feature of this site (which is lovely in all other ways frankly); shuts down discussion and is often used as a passive-aggressive weapon. But more importantly and unfortunately, it creates echo chambers, and puts the power to create an echo chamber in the hands of a single, angry person. In the real world, it's good for you to hear things you don't like.

 

[Steampunkette]

Bigotry, racism, etc. are terrible things, and removing these things from the world is the duty of all people IMO. What you're doing here though... it's something different. The stance of purity you are taking. There is a difference between understanding what is right and acting towards that goal and demonising anyone who disagrees with you. Like, a really big difference.

Us and Them. This is the basis of the ills of the world, whether that be racism, classism, sexism. When you start seeing people who are different from you as objects of derision, or otherwise less human than you... no good comes of that.

No, no... That's not "Us vs Them"...

That's someone being a bigot and other people going "Yup. You're a bigot. We believe you."

What the hell is this "Purity" comment about? I don't get it.

Are you saying we should just smile and nod when someone shouts bigoted statements into a megaphone as long as they're making someone else laugh?

 

[Steampunkette]

Loved your post, disagreed with this part. Ignore is the worst feature of this site (which is lovely in all other ways frankly); shuts down discussion and is often used as a passive-aggressive weapon. But more importantly and unfortunately, it creates echo chambers, and puts the power to create an echo chamber in the hands of a single, angry person. In the real world, it's good for you to hear things you don't like.

I hear things I don't like every damned day. I will always hear things I don't like every damned day. I will always hear bigots being bigots because the "ignore button" on any website or news organization is a reactive removal of garbage rather than a proactive shield to keep people protected.

I don't need to listen to people -defending- that garbage to not be in an "Echo Chamber".

This might shock you, Ulorian, but not a SINGLE PERSON isolates themselves exclusively to the ENWorld forums and refuses to engage with other forms of discussion or news generating websites. It would probably be HILARIOUS if someone did, but it's not happening and never will happen.

Echo Chambers occur when someone cuts themself off from ALL other voices and information and perspective.

ENWorld by it's very function as a TTRPG website cannot be an echo chamber unless the only thing it's going to echo is opinions on what kind of gaming is 'real gaming'...

But they thought of that, and banned that line of thinking.

So don't worry, we're safe!

 

[Remathilis]

Read what I said in the quoted post. I think I was pretty clear that something said in anger Doesn’t mean it has no consequence or significance. It certainly doesn’t make violence okay. What it does is change my view on how sincere the belief expressed is (if a frustrated person shouts ‘I hate you’, they may truly be fed up and expressing a sincere belief but it is also likely they just reached for the most hurtful barb in the moment and don’t really mean it. This matters if we are trying to evaluate what a person thought or felt

What Gary said was not done in the heat of the moment. There was no heightened emotional state. He wasn't composing a rage tweet, he was typing a game manuscript. I assume he took his time to make his initial composition and then had ample time to go back and adjust what he wrote. Presumably, an editor looked at the work before publishing, but having read old TSR works, I would not be surprised how much "first and only draft" work made it to print.

I'm going to assume that Gary meant what he wrote in his works. Things like the Tiamat/women's lib joke were not an off the cuff comment to an interviewer or caught on a hot mic, they are words in an official D&D product. So if those words don't reflect Gary or his heart, what other words in those books likewise don't? How much else of Gary's advice is posture and bluster rather than reflection of his true beliefs? I could make a good argument that most of his DMG is "so as I say, not as I do" so why even take it seriously?

Or maybe, just maybe, Gary meant what he wrote. All of it. The good, the bad, and the offense.

 

[Ulorian - Agent of Chaos]

No, no... That's not "Us vs Them"...

That's someone being a bigot and other people going "Yup. You're a bigot. We believe you."

What the hell is this "Purity" comment about? I don't get it.

Are you saying we should just smile and nod when someone shouts bigoted statements into a megaphone as long as they're making someone else laugh?

Your takeaway from my statement is strange to me.

Look at this way. Are there bad, like truly bad, people in the world? Absolutely! Are there as many incredibly villainous, irredeemable scoundrels as some would believe? Not at all. What I'm talking about are the knee-jerk reactions. You have a slight disagreement with me, therefore I am pure evil and clearly have motives so dark that the pure-hearted could never pierce.

Uh, no. Most people are just, you know, people.

If someone does something objectionable, or even really objectionable, instead of going holy warrior on them, take a step back and analyse what's happening here. Most people are not bad. Most people are misguided though. There may be something in their past or upbringing which has damaged them and laid down some thought patterns which are causing issues for themselves and others later in their lives. It's worth taking the time to treat others, even when it's unpleasant and your back has gotten up and it feels super wrong to do so, with humanity.

Someone who is misguided can be reasoned with. You're not going to be able to reason with someone when you turn your cannons on them. You go on attack mode immediately, it's a guarantee that nothing has been solved and you are now responsible for perpetuating more distress on the world.

 

[Emerikol]

I'm sure there are things in places in the old books that make people wince today. The question is -- was Gary a typical man of his times or was he especially egregious? I think WOTC though did more damage than good with their disclaimers all over the place. I am glad they didn't rewrite those parts. History is history. The disclaimers is open ended and makes the game sound a lot worse than I think it really is or was. That doesn't mean it was without anything offensive.

 

[Ulorian - Agent of Chaos]

I hear things I don't like every damned day. I will always hear things I don't like every damned day. I will always hear bigots being bigots because the "ignore button" on any website or news organization is a reactive removal of garbage rather than a proactive shield to keep people protected.

I don't need to listen to people -defending- that garbage to not be in an "Echo Chamber".

This might shock you, Ulorian, but not a SINGLE PERSON isolates themselves exclusively to the ENWorld forums and refuses to engage with other forms of discussion or news generating websites. It would probably be HILARIOUS if someone did, but it's not happening and never will happen.

Echo Chambers occur when someone cuts themself off from ALL other voices and information and perspective.

ENWorld by it's very function as a TTRPG website cannot be an echo chamber unless the only thing it's going to echo is opinions on what kind of gaming is 'real gaming'...

But they thought of that, and banned that line of thinking.

So don't worry, we're safe!

I have bought into exactly nothing you've said here. A poor defense of a poor practice.

Echo chambers occur when you are not exposed to viewpoints that you disagree with.

This may shock you, but the pattern of behaviour of cutting people off on this site... is going to carry over into other aspects of their lives.

When you provide a feature that prevents discussion and silos folks... you have not done anyone a service.

 

[mamba]

There is a difference between understanding what is right and acting towards that goal and demonising anyone who disagrees with you.

saying that a bigot is indeed a bigot is not demonizing that person, it is stating an unfortunate fact

Us and Them. This is the basis of the ills of the world, whether that be racism, classism, sexism. When you start seeing people who are different from you as objects of derision, or otherwise less human than you... no good comes of that.

seeing them as less than human, yeah that is problematic, pretending that they are not bigots is a problem too however, that way we never move forward.

All we can do is point it out, explain that it is wrong and why, and hope they change or at least society does. Sweeping it under the rug accomplishes nothing