Roll for Initiative! Kickstarter to Fund Memorial Sculpture for D&D’s Gary Gygax

It’s time for adventurers everywhere to unsheath their wallets and roll a high diplomacy check! The Gygax Memorial Fund has just launched a new Kickstarter campaign to fund a permanent memorial sculpture for the late, great co-creator of Dungeons & Dragons, E. Gary Gygax.

The project, which has secured a long-sought-after location in Gary’s hometown of Lake Geneva, Wisconsin, aims to create a unique and interactive monument that truly celebrates the Father of Roleplaying Games.

The Gygax Memorial Table: A Monument for Gamers

This isn’t your standard bronze bust. The centerpiece of the design is the Gygax Memorial Table—a polished granite game table designed to host actual games of D&D.

The full vision, which has multiple funding tiers and stretch goals, is planned to include:

• A Granite Table and Benches: Designed for players to gather, with one end left open for wheelchair accessibility.
• A Bronze Dungeon Map: A centerpiece depicting the first level of Gary Gygax’s original 1973 castle dungeon, scaled for use with miniatures.
• The Statue of Gary Gygax: A bronze statue of Gary seated on a magnificent, D&D-themed “throne” at the head of the table, appearing to run a game. The statue’s hand will be positioned for players to roll dice off of it for luck!

The memorial is slated to be installed in Library Park in Lake Geneva, WI, a location Gygax himself frequented and a significant milestone after years of effort by the Gygax Memorial Fund (founded by his widow, Gail Gygax).

How to Pledge and Get Awesome Loot

The Kickstarter has set its initial funding goal for the basic table and benches, with the statue and bronze map coming into play as high-level stretch goals.

Donors aren’t just giving to charity; they are getting some serious rewards for their patronage:

• All Backers: Receive a PDF copy of an old-school, multi-level dungeon adventure, written by game designer and historian Paul Stormberg.
• Higher-Level Pledges: Can earn a permanent place on a “Wall of Honor” on the fund’s website, or even have their name engraved on one of the granite pavers that form the base of the monument.
• Top-Tier Backers: Include incredible, unique rewards like a half-sized replica of the statue and the chance to play the first-ever game on the newly completed memorial table.

The campaign launches on October 1st Today at Noon EST (as of this posting) , an appropriate date as it marks the anniversary of Gygax founding his company, TSR, to publish Dungeons & Dragons.

This is a chance for the global community of gamers to permanently honor the man whose imagination launched an industry and changed the world of entertainment forever. Let’s make this epic monument a reality.