Dave Arneson passed away yesterday. He played a critical role in the development of Dungeons and Dragons and role playing games in general, though he never received as much of the credit as Gary Gygax did. Both he and Gygax died relatively young. I spent my formative years playing games inspired by the work Arneson did, and to this day the fantasy computer and strategy games I play owe a debt to his imagination. My thoughts to his friends and family, and thanks for a life well lived. There’s a nice obit/writeup over on the escapist, and here’s Dave’s entry on wikipedia for those curious about his work and life.