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.

 

[Justice and Rule]

Not only what @Steampunkette says, but also let's be real: both sides of this argument aren't equal and it's quite clear from the fact that even those trying to argue against the inclusion of it in the foreword are not identifying with the side that would say the things it is speaking out are good. Instead it's all hemming and hawing about "lack of nuance" or how this shouldn't be in a "celebration" of D&D or whatever. To me, that gives away the goat as to exactly which side is socially acceptable and which side isn't.

 

[mamba]

As frustrating as it is to deal with that, I have had at least one parent ask why I didn't extoll the virtues of Robert E. Lee before. I had to take a breath before responding to that one.

yes, let’s, not sure virtues is the word I would have used use to describe him however

 

[Umbran]

You can't post the former and then a minute later post the latter. You agree with me that the whole idea of "tribalism" and "culture wars" is a made-up conceit promoted by those who are manipulating others' emotions for profit and power? Then show it in your actions. Show it in your posts. Stop using terms coined by reactionaries. Post your own ideas.

And... you're making it personal.

 

[BookTenTiger]

And... you're making it personal.

Sorry, I'll back myself out of this conversation.

 

[mamba]

nvm

 

[polyhedral man]

No, with respect.

If you were coming to a conclusion that Gary was sexist, you would infer it from Gary's words and the products released under his leadership. Noting that the book refers to authors, plural, and not every word in the early days came from Gary...

But you are coming to a conclusion that "They are making a statement". Your evidence that they make a statement is their words, not Gary's.

I must admit that I didn't quite follow the reasoning in the second paragraph. But you're right in that they refer to authors, plural. Therefore it's more vague, and doesn't directly put Gygax on the hook. As the senior author and the one with editorial oversight, ultimately the text is his responsibility. And that would perhaps include their perceived conscious choice of "misogyny". But you're right in that it's not as clear-cut as I'd previously assumed.

 

[S'mon]

Does "conflict" always equate to "war"? I think that's the question here.

The "Culture War" is not a literal war, thankfully! My view is that there was a longstanding Progressive cultural push which in the US met a culturally Conservative reaction, to some extent in the 1990s, but much moreso from the 2000s on. There's definitely a culture conflict, and it's not just Progressives pushing at a passively Intolerant cliff face, there are two sides.

 

[FrogReaver]

Does "conflict" always equate to "war"? I think that's the question here.

I don’t know that anyone really disagrees there. Like you want to be super technical, no it’s not an actual war. But it’s also one of those ship has sailed long ago kind of things IMO. Culture war as a term has been around and used that way for far too long.

 

[Umbran]

Mod Note:

You know what? Nobody needs this endless grinding argument going into a holiday weekend. I will relieve everyone from the need to counter-argue each other any more.

Thread closed.