Any self respecting geek would know about or have played the seminal Dungeons & Dragons games. No, I’m not talking about the recent slew of video game RPG’s that follow D&D rules like Neverwinter Nights, I’m referring to the old school pen and paper RPGs that have been the staple of many a geek library.

Having said that, it is with great sadness that I report to you geeks that Gary Gygax, one of the creators of D&D has passed away. He was 69. Gygax has succumbed to heart-related ailments.

Even though Gygax’s contribution to gaming came from “analog” games like D&D and Advanced Dungeons & Dragons, his influence is still being felt by many gamers today. If not for his innovations, computer RPGs as we know them now will have been so different.

Here’s to you, Gary.