Historical Importance...D&D

[grodog]

Tasha wasn't an original GH PC, she was created in honor of a spell sent in by a little girl in the middle 80s or so when those spells appeared in Dragon (issues 67 and 68). Gary recently mentioned this in his Q&A threads.

 

[Col_Pladoh]

Hello...

This is a question, that could be answer here by this wonderful forum, since it is reaches a wide spectrum.

Does anyone here, know of the very first female player to play D&D...and survived...err...maybe the wrong choice of wording.

But I am curious to know...

Thank you.

Howdy Truth Seeker,

The first female player was my eldest daughter, Elise Gygax. She played in the very first test of the first draft of the D&D rules back in the waning months of 1972. Her character was active for several months, was retiered in 1973.

Cheers,
Gary

 

[Col_Pladoh]

For that matter, I think it was Cindy (or Heidi?) who named the game itself!!

(The young lady in question picked two alliterative names out of a list, according to Gary.)

Henry,

You were correct in naming my dughter Cindy as the key in choosing a title for the game. She was just a tyke back in the spring of 1973 when I decided it was time to have a real name for the rules, not just "The Fantasy Game." As you note, I had a two-column list, gave select persons a vote for one name (usually preferable for a game title) or tow--one from column A, one from column B. When I read her the names, she jumped up and down and said "Dungeons and Dragons, Dungeons and Dragons!" Several people, myself included, liked that combination the best, and Cindy's enthusiastic vote sealed the matter.

Cheers,
Gary

 

[Col_Pladoh]

AFAIK Bregh's answer is technically correct, BUT Elise is reported to have not particularly enjoyed the game and to have played rarely (if ever) thereafter. I believe the first long-term/successful female D&D player was Mary Dale. I wasn't there but I've read enough histories of the game to have picked a lot of this stuff up. I'm sure the good Colonel would be more than happy to give a definitive answer.

Greetings!

close, but no cigar as far as Elise's enjoyment of the D&D game goes. She had a great time playing, but she didn't find it compelling as her brother Ernie did; so when the group grew, and was composed of males of ages well beyond her tender years, she lost interest.

MAry Dale played enthusiastically and regularly, true. She was there with her boyfriend, Tom Champeny, whom she later married. Their son, Bob, is a gamer--or was last time I saw him a year or so back.

Cheers,
Gary

 

[Col_Pladoh]

If Col_Pladoh does drop in, I'd like to know who played:
Lum the Mad
Kwallish

Howdy!

Those names were invented by Brian Blume and not actual PCs

Cheers,
Gary

 

[Azlan]

Bigby - Gary Gygax
Zigby - Gary Gygax - Gary's Dwarf Fighter
Riggby - Gary Gygax
Yrag - Gary Gygax

Well, it appears that it was Gary who was first, historically, to establish a pattern of giving player characters silly names.

 

[Henry]

Brian certainly had a penchant for names that stick with you, doesn't he?

Thanks for the help, Gary. I wonder how many critics of D&D have been surprised to find out that D&D was named by a small girl... Out of the mouths of babes, and all that...

 

[Henry]

Well, it appears that it was Gary who was first, historically, to establish a pattern of giving player characters silly names.

According to Gary, that was Rob Kuntz's doing.

 

[Col_Pladoh]

Well, it appears that it was Gary who was first, historically, to establish a pattern of giving player characters silly names.

Well Azlan...

Here I thought all D&D history buffs knew the story behind those names, that, as Henry mentioned, Rob Kuntz, my DM, saddled me with them. My success with adventures, employing henchmen, playing them as principle PC frequently, annoyed him a good deal. That I forged ahead with equinimity despite that rankled him more for a time I got humorous revenge by naming his sage Herb, and naming his mage Otto, role-playing him as a clownish sort who loved to be jovial and when introducing himself, literally sing, "Otto is my name, magic is my game," as he danced in lively fashion. That led to the spell Otto's Irrestable Dance. He would also jest, "Otto spelled backwards is...OTTO! Ho-ho-ho! But spelled inside out it is TOOT!!!"

Cheers,
Gary

 

[Col_Pladoh]

Brian certainly had a penchant for names that stick with you, doesn't he?

Thanks for the help, Gary. I wonder how many critics of D&D have been surprised to find out that D&D was named by a small girl... Out of the mouths of babes, and all that...

Welcome Henry

Grodog sent me a heads-up email about this thread. I am busy writing adventure material for the Castle Zaygg campaign module so paying attention to threads on boards is not a priority just now..

On reflection, Brian did have some good names, but I think that it was Tim Kask that came up with the name Kwalish. It might have been the name of one of his PCs, although I can't recall the matter well.

As for the critics, I doubt that the knowledge that a little girl, my daughter, chose the name for the game would have any effect at all on their opinion.

Cheers,
Gary