[GZG] Dave Arneson passes away

In case you hadn't heard, Dave Arneson -- the co-creator of D&D --
died yesterday evening after a lengthy battle with cancer. He was 61.

Arneson and Gygax co-created Dungeons and Dragons. While Gygax took a
historical miniatures game and converted it into the basic fantasy game
mechanics found in D&D, Arneson is credited with playing one character per
player and introducing the "role playing" aspects to the game. Arneson is also
the inventor of armour classes (taken from a Napoleonic naval game of his
invention), fixed hit points, and the
original Blackmoor roleplaying universe/campaign. Gygax wrote the
rules but Arneson is considered the father of the innovations that resulted in
the roleplaying hobby.

Arneson also founded Adventure Games, which went on to publish the miniatures
rules Harpoon and Johnny Reb. It was eventually sold to Flying Buffalo.

Arneson's death comes a year and a month after that of Gary Gygax.