Gary Gygax passed away at his home in Wisconsin yesterday. He was co-creator of Dungeons & Dragons, and the person most directly responsible for the invention of the role-playing game.

I grew up playing D&D, with a group of about ten other guys. We played after school. On the weekends. All summer. For years. To me and my fellow gaming geeks, Gary Gygax was a mythical figure. A greater deity. An omnipotent being. His name graced the cover of every single rulebook we used to play the game. The Dungeon Master's Guide? Written by Gary Gygax. The Player's Handbook? Written by Gary Gygax. The Monster Manual? Unearthed Arcana? Nearly any classic D&D adventure module you care to name? Written by Gary Gygax.

Gary was THE Dungeon Master. His boundless imagination inspired generations of writers, game designers, and players. He created an entirely new pastime that continues to bring joy to millions of people. The next time you sit down to play World of Warcraft, Magic the Gathering, or just about any modern video game, pause for a moment and give some props to Gary Gygax. Most of the games we love wouldn't exist if it weren't for him.

I had the honor of meeting Gary at the Gen Con gaming convention in 1993. I waited in line for an hour to have him sign my Player's Handbook. As I stepped up to his table, I nervously stammered out something like "Thanks for making my childhood so much fun, Mr. Gygax."

He grinned wide, handed back my PH, and said "You're quite welcome, my friend."

Years later, we corresponded briefly by email, and that was when I learned he and I actually shared the same first name. He went by "Gary," but his full name was Ernest Gary Gygax. That immediately placed him on my very short list of "Great People Named Ernest," along with Hemingway and Borgnine.

There's already been a barrage of D&D jokes made in reference to his passing. "Gary Gygax now beyond scope of healing spells." And "Gary Gygax rolls his final twelve-sided die." One of my old gaming buddies in Ohio actually said: "Damn. I wish I could cast a resurrection spell on him."

Gary probably would have loved all of these jokes.

The truth is, Gary Gygax doesn't need to be resurrected. He's immortal, in the truest sense of the word. He used his talent and imagination to change the world, and to leave it a better place than it was when he arrived here. And as long as human civilization exists, there will be a lasting record of the mark Gary Gygax left upon it.

In a Gamespy interview a few years ago, he said:

"I would like the world to remember me as the guy who really enjoyed playing games and sharing his knowledge and his fun pastimes with everybody else."

So long, Mr. Gygax. Thanks for making our lives so much fun.

-Ernie Cline