D&D Creator Gary Gygax's Son, Ernest "Ernie" Gygax Jr, Has Passed Away

Tabletop Games

Mar 4

Ernest ‘Ernie’ Gygax Jr, son of Dungeons and Dragons creator Gary Gygax, has passed away at age 64. Ernie Gygax played a critical role in developing the original (1974) Dungeons and Dragons and Advanced Dungeons and Dragons, as he was an early play tester. Gygax also created one of the game’s first wizards. Tenser was Gygax’s build, and it was used in the dungeon testing ground that his father, Gary, created when DnD was still in development. However, Tenser and the dungeon would both make it into print in the form of the Castle Greyhawk pamphlet.

Ernie Gygax Jr regularly tended TTRG conventions and events and always maintained close ties with the community. However, he regularly clashed with Wizards of the Coast, the owners of the DnD IP, calling them “corporate raiders”. Gygax made attempts to resurrect TSR (Tactical Study Rules), but the rights to use the name had already been bought by WotC. In 2022, WotC sued when Ernie’s version of TSR published Star Frontiers. The game’s rules stated that no trans characters were allowed and encouraged eugenic style play with racial disparities slanted against POC characters. The lawsuit was never resolved as Ernie’s TSR filed for bankruptcy.

Luke Gygax announced the news of his brother’s passing on Facebook: “He always made time for young gamers and encouraged them. He treated them as gamers who could figure out a way through the challenges and he didn’t pull any punches.”

Gygax Jr. is survived by his wife Donna, who he married last year, his brother Luke, and three sisters, Elise, Heidi, and Cindy

READ NEXT:

Featured