The Roll

The icosahedron is always falling, always rolling. This is the way of destiny, of chance. There are days, moments of such critical beauty, that we know the cosmos has smiled upon us: we know that small chance - one in twenty - has come out in our favor.

So, too, must the other side fall; for the icosahedron is regular; it is fair. And for every twenty we roll, we must also throw a one.

And so it was that a man died. He was not a young man, though he was not so old that his passing seemed expected. This was no ordinary man. It was Gary Gygax, creator of Dungeons & Dragons, who passed away a week ago.

If you are unfamiliar with his game, you can learn about it here.

It was truly a sad day for geeks. I find myself missing the game Gygax generated, for many a year has passed since I cast those dice. Far too long for my comfort.

But the die rolls on, as winter nights give way to spring dawning, with a new edition of D&D in the works. Yes, a fourth edition of Dungeons & Dragons will be released later this year. It must be added that this edition shall be the first bearing the number of one of the game's dice. What this means, and whether it shall strengthen the game itself, are questions that only time, or perhaps play testers, can answer.

But until then, let us a remember the game's creator. Let us raise our glasses and cast our dice for Gary Gygax. He was a geek among men, and I, for one, salute him.