Gary Gygax, co-creator of Dungeons & Dragons, died yesterday at the age of 69, leaving behind a legacy nearly unmatched in the gaming world. Not only did D&D shape an entire generation of gamers (and ensure they’d spend their formative years being ridiculed and subject to countless wedgies), but its core gameplay, ruleset, and conventions can still be seen in modern electronic gaming. Odds are good without D&D there would be no World of Warcraft. That’s right, WoW players, you’re one of us now.

At the risk of painting myself as a nerd–oh, hell with it, I am a nerd–I spent a few years playing D&D back in high school. I’m not going to say it was a formative force in my existence, that I didn’t know myself until I became a paladin, but it was a lot of fun, engaged me creatively, and let me use and expand my imagination in a way standard games never could. Plus there was a great sense of camaraderie in it, sitting around a table with your friends, creating something on the fly, and feeling just a little exclusive because of it. It was a nice little nerd oasis, where you could get together with like-minded individuals and just be your geeky self for a while, have some fun. It was quite a far cry from today when any jackass with a headset and an Xbox Live account can curse you out without ever leaving his house.

Even though it’s been many a year since I last tossed a d20 or looked up a THAC0 table, I still have a soft spot in my heart for D&D and its creator. So rather than some cheesy line about resurrection spells or missing his saving throw, I’ll just say rest in peace, Gary. And thanks.

Incidentally, the guys over at Penny Arcade have, in their own words, a “semi-tasteful” tribute up to Gygax. Give it a peek.