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]

You can't just say he said something dumb you still have to try to defend him.

I was giving my reaction to what he said. I didn't really see it as defending or condemning.

 

[AnotherGuy]

Cute and accurate, at the same time. Musk can be a buffoon and didn't do research and responded from the hip and yet is still uncivil, wrathful and lacking in nuance all at once! I'm not sure how being hateful off the cuff is more excusable than being hateful in a deeply pre-meditated fashion.

Goalpost shift.
I was not debating what is more, less or middling excusable, civil, wrathful or lacking in nuance.
That is a completely different issue to Musk does not find social oppression infuriating.

I hope you can understand the difference.

 

[Cordwainer Fish]

I feel like it's a very foreign thing to me and those around me--I assume UK generally, but I can't speak for anybody else. The concept of venerating 'founders' or 'fathers' is very alien; the very words feel alien. I wonder if it's more an American phenomenon, but I kinda cringe whenever I see terms like that.

I think it is, and it is a big part of why I have always felt like an unwelcome outsider in my own land.

 

[Juxtapozbliss]

Goalpost shift.
I was not debating what is more, less or middling excusable.
But that is a completely different issue to Musk does not find social oppression infuriating.

I hope you can understand the difference.

He clearly finds social oppression liberating because he vocally revels in it. So not sure what your point is. Her statement was accurate so while clever (cute), was not a smear it was authentic critique.

 

[Moon_Goddess]

I feel like it's a very foreign thing to me and those around me--I assume UK generally, but I can't speak for anybody else. The concept of venerating 'founders' or 'fathers' is very alien; the very words feel alien. I wonder if it's more an American phenomenon, but I kinda cringe whenever I see terms like that.

You don't have to keep giving me reasons to leave the country of my birth I'm sold.

 

[Parmandur]

foreword (I have never typed a word this carefully)

Be forewarned, if you are backwards and call the foreword the forward or forword for want of trying, many will be froward about putting forth warnings forthwith.

 

[Ulorian - Agent of Chaos]

I... can't even be bothered at this point.

Is that what I said? Is that what everyone who doesn't 100% agree with you has said?

I am on your side of this argument, believe it or not. What I object to, though, is the stridency and playing to the crowd (which is what your post here is doing IMO) to win points. Enter an argument where you treat the other side of the table as a human being. Engage im a conversation instead of hyperbole. Literally all I am saying.

Peace out.

Actually, I can be bothered. I tell you what... you find these posts where these villainous things have occurred. You and I can go knock on these doors and get to the bottom of this. I'll do the talking, and you can be the ominous muscle looming behind me. You may have to do some talking though, to justify why we're there.

 

[Parmandur]

Oops

 

[AnotherGuy]

He clearly finds social oppression liberating because he vocally revels in it. So not sure what your point is. Her statement was accurate so while clever (cute), was not a smear it was authentic critique.

I do not know enough about Musk to make that call with that one Tweet.
I'm happy to critique him on allowing his emotions to override his better judgment to investigate the matter before making his first reaction/thought public.
We can agree to disagree.

 

[Parmandur]

I feel like it's a very foreign thing to me and those around me--I assume UK generally, but I can't speak for anybody else. The concept of venerating 'founders' or 'fathers' is very alien; the very words feel alien. I wonder if it's more an American phenomenon, but I kinda cringe whenever I see terms like that.

Yeah, seems unremarkable to me, definitely an American-ism.