Everything I Know I Learned from D&D

or Rest Well Gary Gygax

As you probably have heard the creator of Dungeons & Dragons passed away. I can't think of many people that I never actually knew that had such an impact on my life. D&D and games in general have been my main hobby since I was a teen.

I started playing Dungeons and Dragons in sixth grade when I met a few kids in the gifted and talented classes who "played." I say it with quotes because they didn't really know any rules and they didn't have dice (just a Sucrets container with tiny slips of paper in it numbered from 1 to 20). They just told stories to each other in the guise of D&D. Not a bad thing mind you, just less structured. I begged my parents for the Red Box (it came with real dice! I still have my first well worn d20) and it took off from there to other RPGs, computer games, table top games, miniature games and card games. D&D was a gateway drug for me that led me into a world of nerds, dorks and other socially awkward creatures. I have spent more money and time on games than I care to think about. But I don't regret it.

I feel that D&D gave me a love of reading, the ability to understand complex systems, helped me explore creativity and imagination and allowed me to explore what was right and wrong, good and evil in a safe environment. D&D was my sandbox growing up. While most players probably built castles and pillaged villages, I remember that I played a time traveling monk (hardly D&D cannon) who spent most of his time building a museum, a very scholarly priest who spent most of his gold on building a huge library and inventing new inks to illuminate texts with or a rogue who sought to learn the funniest joke from the gods. I wouldn't be who I am, for better or worse, with out Gary Gygax's creation.

I grew out of some gaming; I just can't quite take RPGs as seriously as I used to and I don't have a group of friends to support a steady gaming habit. Now I mostly play World of Warcraft and other video games but I do miss those few years of Gaming Tuesdays before I left the Sunshine State.

Tonight, as Teodor (my Blood Elf Frost Mage in WoW) was flying to Gadgetzan I noticed all the mechanics that Gygax introduced to storytelling to transform it into a game. (Hit points, classes, levels, experriance points, etc.) What he started with D&D was everywhere and these stories are much more fun and engaging because of him. As soon as Teodor landed he poured out a mana potion in salute of the first GM's passing.