April 9th, 2009: Last month was the one year anniversary of
Gary Gygax's passing, and now sadly we mourn the passing of Dungeons & Dragons' co-creator:
Dave Arneson. I am glad I got to meet Dave Arneson at Gencon a few years ago, when even
then he seemed to be in poor health. There are no words I can form that can adequatedly express
what Arneson meant to this hobby. So instead, I will quote the immortal Gygax from his forward
to Dave's iconic work, Supplement II, Blackmoor
-mortellan
"Dave Arneson ... Is there really such a creature? Yes, Gentle Readers, there is, and shudder
when the name is spoken. Although he is a man of many talents who has authored many historic
rules sets and games, Dave is also the innovator of the "dungeon adventure" concept, creator of ghastly
monsters, and inscrutable dungeonmaster par excellence. He devises complex combat systems,
inexplicable dungeon and wilderness areas, and traps of the most subtle fiendishness. Herein you will
get a taste of these, but he never reveals all. This writer always looks forward with great anticipation
to an adventure in the "Blackmoor" campaign, for despite the fact that I co-authored the
original work with Dave, and have spent hundreds of hours creating and playing DUNGEONS &
DRAGONS, it is always a fresh challenge to enter his "world". I can not reccomend him more highly
than simply saying that I would rather play in his campaign than any other - that other dungeonmasters
who emulate Dave Arneson will indeed improve their games. While eagerly anticipating yet more
material from dread "Blackmoor Castle", the following pages should satisfy your immediate
craving for new ideas. Those of you totally committed to the fantasy adventure game may expect
additional supplements from time to time; and isn't that dark shape crouched over the desk of
blackened oak laughing fiendishly as glowing runes flow from his quill, remarkably similar to Arneson's?"
E. Gary Gygax
TSR Games Editor
Lake Geneva, Wisconsin
1 September 1975
"To die will be an awfully big adventure."
-Aristotle