Post/Author/DateTime	Post
Minstrel Poet 09-03-03, 08:42 PM	I hear about these three being the fathers of role-playing all the time but what exactly did they do to contribute to what we know as D&D? I know Ed Greenwood is a writer, so the assumption is that he wrote the original stories. I know next to nothing about Arneson. I see Gygax as a contributer to WoTC. Other than that, nothing. Are these guys friends, enemies? Do they all still role-play? Are they all still alive?
Jagermeister 09-03-03, 09:05 PM	Can't say much in regards to the other two, but Gygax isn't much of a WotC contributor anymore, save to Dragon magazine on occasion. He also created Greyhawk, and currently does some work for other gaming publishers (Troll Games? I think). You might you might have more luck on the D&D General Board.
Dargoth 09-03-03, 09:07 PM	Originally posted by Minstrel Poet I hear about these three being the fathers of role-playing all the time but what exactly did they do to contribute to what we know as D&D? I know Ed Greenwood is a writer, so the assumption is that he wrote the original stories. I know next to nothing about Arneson. I see Gygax as a contributer to WoTC. Other than that, nothing. Are these guys friends, enemies? Do they all still role-play? Are they all still alive? Gary Gygax is still around and I believe has his own setting hes also written stuff for other D20 companys ie Necropolis from Necromancer games. Ed Greenwoods still around and he created the FR setting, Ed still works on some of WOTCs FR books in addition to his novels.
Iuducium 09-03-03, 09:21 PM	Dave Arneson and Gary Gygax co-created D&D. Period. They based the original rules on the first Chainmail sets back in the day (late 60s, early 70s). They later revised it and marketed it as the 1st Edition, which TSR was in control of. (They might have created the company, I don't really know). So Arneson and Gygax are the reason we have D&D today. Ed Greenwood created the prolific Forgotten Realms setting in 1967, which is probably one of the biggest and best settings ever. He also wrote many novels set in the Realms, and recently authored a series set in a new original world, in the kingdom of Aglyrta.
Faraer 09-04-03, 11:53 AM	My slightly repetitive answer: Arneson and Gygax co-created D&D in the mid-70s. Arneson mostly plays wargames I think now rather than RPGs; his Blackmoor setting is being republished by Goodman Games. Gygax established the early tone of the game, created the World of Greyhawk and the classic adventure modules which were the paradigm of D&D (outside the Dragonlance branch) until Gygax was ejected from TSR by the Blumes. He currently writes for his own Lejendary Adventure game and also d20 products (e.g. for Troll Lord Games), and has begun work on the long-awaited Greyhawk Castle project, the original dungeon of D&D. Ed created the Realms in 1967, has written millions of words about it of which a few million have been published, his Dragon articles started in 1979, and he sold the setting to TSR in 1986 or so. Gygax and Arneson have had disagreements but are currently cordial, as far as I know. Neither knows Greenwood, but Gygax made favourable comments about his articles in the 80s.
Erimthar 09-04-03, 02:37 PM	Some of Arneson's contributions, as I understand it, were the idea of improving one's character by acquiring experience, and the idea of using multiple types of dice.