- David Lance Arneson, who helped trigger the global phenomenon of role-playing games as co-inventor of "Dungeons & Dragons," has died at the age of 61.
A statement on the game's official Web site, wizards.com, said Arneson died Tuesday evening "after waging one final battle against cancer."
Arneson "developed many of the fundamental ideas of role playing: that each player controls just one hero, that heroes gain power through adventures, and that personality is as important as combat prowess," the statement said.
The game's co-creator, Gary Gygax, died last year.
In 1974, Arneson and Gygax created "Dungeons & Dragons," which allowed players to assume roles in a magical world. They could be fighters or wizards, elves or dwarfs.
"As characters journey through various lands, they search for hidden treasures while battling menacing monsters with their own brains and brawn," a description on wizards.com says.
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