Who has made D&D great?

[vonmolkew]

Robert Blake (worked with Gygax's company that put out Aesheba and Cyborg Commmando)
(also ran the AD&D Open at Gen-Con for several years)
Eric Noah (who kept me caring about Greyhawk when I thought all was lost)
The Hickmans (for Ravenloft)
Paul Jacquays (Dark Tower)
The entirety of Judges Guild (I spent years in the City-State areas and in Tarantas)
Roger Moore (more Greyhawk, including The House on Summoner's Row (?))

 

[trollwad]

Gary Gygax

The UK writers including Don Turnbull. The fiend folio was a little glitchy but the modules were spectacular! Better in a number of respects than even the master, gygax himself.

Ed Greenwood. I can't stand the Realms but his stuff on the Hells was magical.

Monte Cook. 3e rejuvenated the game even if I dont like the complexity.

(Weiss, Hickman?) who created the original Ravenloft, not all the goth stuff that followed.

Wolfgang Bauer. The Kingdom of the Ghouls ruled. The Empire of the Ghouls for those who are his patrons, rocks.

Erik Mona and Jacobs for rejuvenating Dungeon magazine and the Savage Tide Adventure Path and the Return to the Isle of Dread.

 

[tankschmidt]

Off the top of my head:

Dave Arneson
Rob Kuntz
Tim Kask
Mike Carr
Lawrence Schick
David C. Sutherland III
David Trampier
Tom Wham
Erol Otus
Tom Moldvay
Frank Mentzer
Steve Marsh
Bob Bledsaw
Paul Jaquays
Mike Mornard
John T. Sapienza
Steve Perrin
Will Niebling

That's a solid list. Bob Bledsaw and Paul Jaquays would not have occured to me, but their contributions cannot be denied. And to all of these guys - thanks for a helluva game, fellas.

 

[megamania]

Above and also-

RA SAlvatore (comon- everyone either wants to be or kill Drizz't)

Jeff Grub (showed me humor can be a part of DnD)

BROM (his art was perfect for Darksun)


All the mothers and fathers that allowed us to play and supported it and the brothers that taught us how to play

 

[delericho]

The legion of DMs who introduced the game to hundreds of players through the years, and provided the shared experience that has led to us sticking with it.

And the legion of players who were similarly integral in that shared experience.

 

[kenobi65]

(Weiss, Hickman?) who created the original Ravenloft, not all the goth stuff that followed.

Tracy Hickman, and his wife Laura, wrote the original Ravenloft module. Tracy then teamed up with Margaret Weis on Dragonlance.

 

[TerraDave]

Dave Arneson is in a different league from the rest because he had a hand in the foundation. The combination of the basic rules - classes, levels, hit points and armor class - the default adventure - the dungeon bash - and the monsters and magic items make D&D what it is. (bold added)

Yes, though I would give an honrable mention to:

Tracy Hickman
Peter Atkinson
Monte Cook
Jonathan Tweet
Skip Williams

 

[VoidAdept]

The legion of DMs who introduced the game to hundreds of players through the years, and provided the shared experience that has led to us sticking with it.

And the legion of players who were similarly integral in that shared experience.

What he said.

 

[GeorgeFields]

The only one I can think of that hasn't already been mentioned is Sean Reynolds.

 

[kenobi65]

A lot of great names in this thread.

Thinking about the artists that really shaped how I visualized the game:

The Originals:
Erol Otus
Dave Sutherland
Dave Trampier
Darlene Pekul
Jeff Dee

The Big Four of late 1st / 2nd Edition:
Jeff Easley (also truly a nice guy; got to catch up with him at the Bristol Renaissance Faire last year)
Clyde Caldwell
Larry Elmore
Keith Parkinson

Third Edition:
Todd Lockwood (I have a print of the "Elven Chain" picture from the DMG on my office wall)
Wayne Reynolds
Sam Wood
Arnie Swekel (did the Leonardo-esque illustrations at the front of every chapter in the PHB and DMG)
Henry Higginbotham (did the 3d art that became the covers of the Core Rulebooks)