David Arneson, co-creator of Dungeons & Dragons game, dies at 61
MINNEAPOLIS — David Arneson, one of the masterminds who created the original version of the award-winning fantasy role-playing game Dungeons & Dragons, died Tuesday in St. Paul following a two-year battle with cancer. He was 61. Arneson teamed up with co-creator Gary Gygax in 1974 to create Dungeons & Dragons, which remains one of the best-known and best-selling role-playing games of all time. An estimated 20 million people have played the game in which players create characters who embark on imaginary adventures within a fantasy setting. Characters solve dilemmas, engage in battles and gather treasure and knowledge, and in the process they earn points to become increasingly powerful over a series of sessions. The game became wildly popular with wargamers at its debut and soon after became a favorite of high school and college students. As a University of Minnesota history student in the late 1960s, Arneson developed an interest in naval war games and re-creating battles comple...