Well, I put on a brave front when I heard the news, but I'm not getting anything done today as my mind races back on hundreds of adventures and memories the news has stirred up. I've been paging through the PHB since I heard the news. Anyway if anyone wants to share a particular memory of a Gary Gygax module, let it rip. Here's one:

When I ran my original gaming group through the G-series back in the day, one of the players was the guy who introduced me to the game, Joe.  Joe played a elven mage/ftr named Gandolin and he was notable for two things: forever trying to "break" the rules, and loving fire spells. For the latter, he'd load up on Burning Hands, Fireballs....it wasn't unusual for all his 3rd level spells to be Fireballs...and Wall of Fire.  For the former, he'd often try various swashbuckling moves that weren't built into the fledgling 1st ed players handbook.  Being a neophyte judge, I wasn't ready for some of the crazy stunts he pulled, so I started instituted "ability checks" as a measurement; basically, if you could roll that ability or under, the action succeeded.
  Joe's character Gandolin also had one more distinguishing factor:  An 18 Dex. In Joe's mind, this meant Gandolin was capable of all sorts of amazing skills and actions, to which he would often succeed with his 18 Dex.
   So the party started G1, and came upon the large feast hall with the giant feast in progress.  While the other characters carefully planned the attack, Gandolin had his own ideas:  He would sneak inside invisibly, jump on the table, run along it's length, drawing his bow, and then stop in front of the chief Nosnra and fire the arrow directly in his face.  Probably not the best plan, but like his character, it showed a lot of flair.
 So without the other player's or their character's knowledge, he snuck inside the feast room, jumped on the table, and started his plan. I started rolling ability checks...and he immediately started failing them.  Every action he took, he failed...miserably.  I described his actions thus:  "You jump on the table, try to run the length, you slip on a greasy spot of food, start tumbling down the length of the table, drawing your bow it was broken in half (failed save vs falling), your arrows are flying everywhere, you continue tumbling head over heels until you end up, on your back and prone, in front of the Hill Giant Leader, who glares at you...since you are now visible."  

Joe's reaction: Sheer panic.  Looking frantically for a spell on his sheet, I have the giant scream "Who is this interloper who has dared interrupt my feast?" Joe yells "I cast FIREBALL!"  Everyone else in the party: "NOOO!"  Too late.  The desperate elven ftr/mage tosses a fireball at Nosnra...ten feet in front of him.  Ooops. Luckily as all the flash burned giants and the now really pissed Nosnra are pounding the shit out of the charcoiled broiled Gandolin, the party rushes in from the rear and takes the giant assemblage from behind for surprise. Gandolin ends the combat with a couple hit points, cowering underneath the table.   One of the biggest ever laughs I've gotten from the group while gaming.  I'd like to say Joe learned a lesson but the next session with G2 Gandolin was back to leaping over icebergs, jumping across icy pits, etc.

Mike B.

I cannot remember if it was a module or a home brew scenario, but I had a dwarven fighter named Gothmaul who forever gained a "reputation" from one bone-headed move.

Our party was fighter light and cleric and wizard heavy so I was on point, along with a ranger. I was the mighty tank in heavy armor so whenever something looked suspicious, everybody would hold back while I went forward to "investigate".

One particular encounter involved opening a door into a large chamber and seeing a "dark opening" on the floor in the middle of the room. Before opening the door, somebody had heard a sound inside. There was nothing to be seen so I made an assumption that somebody (or something) was hiding inside the "dark opening".

Gothmaul was fond of his elaborate helm with large plumes, etc. on it and what I intended to do was get down on my hands and knees and with mace in hand, slowly crawl across the floor to the edge of the "dark opening". So the helm was removed and left with the other party members.

When I successfully reached that point and had not been attacked, I lunged forward face first into the dark opening preparing to strike whatever was lurking there. At this point the DM said in a somewhat surprised voice "You're doing what?"

Unfortunately, the "dark opening" was a black pudding that had spread itself out and I had crawled up to it and suddenly stuck my face in it.  

Damage was done, the other players rushed into the room and a few turns  later, Gothmaul the dwarven fighter was saved. Unfortunately, the DM ruled that he had done enough damage to his face that the charisma was reduced to 6 and he could no longer grow a beard.

And that is how Gothmaul the Bold became Gothmaul the Bald...  

The "playing until we were asleep in our chairs" statement reminded me of my funniest in game event.  

While playing through A2, our DM was working on a TPK.  It was about our 30 hour of gaming and about 3am.    We finally had reached the big battle against the blind leader who was flinging the handfuls of hot coals at our decimated party.   The entire group was down except for myself (thief) and my buddy Jay (fighter).   I am trying to flank the big baddy to backstab.    Jay get hit and drops on his initiative, but it was enough of a distraction for me to finally role the backstab.   I was jumping all over the place as the dice came up a 20.    I tossed the damage and I announced - 16 points of damage.   The response was a resounding "snore".    Inexplicably, the GM had fallen asleep right at the climax . . . right in his damn chair.    

Not wanting to wake him (hell, he had a "real" job to get to in just 3 hours), we all found places in the room to crash.   About 1/2 hour later, I had just finally dozed off.   The GM jerks awake and yells, "You hit!!!   Roll damage.".     I have never seen anyone so confused in my life.   We were all laughing so hard we got a call from the neighbors.   

Guess ya had to be there.

The thrill of the kill, thanks to Mr. Gygax.    It's all so good!!

DungeonDelver wrote:I also dutifully read each bit to my players (Tommy Meiner from up the street and my sister, Beth) including secret DM-eyes-only information  Needless to say traps were fairly easy to avoid!

Heh, don't players buy the modules or read PDFs nowadays?

I remember checking out Deities and Demigods and the DMG from the local public library.  I also read them in the stacks.

mine wasnt really as a player, but as a DM.

i DM'd the G and then D series. same party of players. they went on to meet Lolth in the DEmonweb where they all got killed bar one, but hey

but that said, without the rules to guide the way so to speak, there wouldnt have been that game. prb the most amazing 6 months of gaming in my life that was.

since then, there have been a few amazing games, but the most recent, which all know, was at the last GenCon. ok it wasnt Garys adventure, but without his paving the way, that would never have happened, and i for one, will forever be thankful to him. thanks to him, i DO have an avenue now for my imagination and nothing will ever compare to that.

Al

I have used T1 as the basis of more than 50 campaigns, each one in a different direction. Gary was brilliant when it comes to many things, but it was most bright in providing only enough to get you going... that kind of sparkle of the imagination. Gary put the imagination in the product. Never before has that old TSR slogan meant much to me... but now, it means everything.

Ah, come on... Rufus and Byrne were just really good friends   . Never used T1 myself, but I think B2 was a great place to start a campaign also, IMO (it was the only "non-AD&D" module I ever used, but I always used it). As serleran said, just enough to get started, but not enough to use as a crutch; it forced you to use your imagination to fill in the blanks, but provided a great framework to build on.