Thorin: In Memoriam

Hello and welcome to the 3 Wise DMs podcast, where three Dungeon Masters who have been doing this for way too long, talk about how we handle all the tricky ins and outs of running a game of D&D or whatever else you might play. I’m Thorin and, like my namesake from The Hobbit, I suppose I’m leading this expedition…

DM Thorin, Episode 1

Greetings Friends,

Last year, Thorin was experiencing some slight stomach upset that was not resolving itself. After consulting with his doctor and some follow-up tests, Thorin was diagnosed with Stage Four Colon Cancer. To say that this was a devastating shock to everyone is wildly understated, as anyone who has dealt with the fallout of cancer understands – especially when it comes like a thief in the night.

All of this felt like it happened in the blink of an eye, as Thorin had been in relatively good health up until the end when we put the message out about needing to go on hiatus.

Then, on September 16^th of this year, he was told that his fight was coming to an end. After some further complications, Thorin, Shannon, and his doctors decided to end all chemotherapy treatments and move him into hospice care. After all his aggressive treatment options were exhausted, he passed from this world on Sunday, October 9th, 2022. 

From Anthony

I met Thorin about twenty-eight years ago, when he was in his senior year of high school. We became fast friends and, aside from having the physique of an actual giant, he possessed an amazing gift for conversation. Despite his imposing stature, he was warm, inclusive, and always had a story to tell. At parties he was at the center of the conversation and could talk about nearly any subject like a modern day sage.

As a gamer, Thorin had actively ran or played in numerous systems over a course of three decades. His adventures covered everything from Rifts, Marvel Super Heroes, Call of Cthulhu, Star Wars and nearly every version of D&D. His final campaign, the Woodstock Wanderers, which we discussed at length on the show, lasted roughly four years and ended with a climactic finish which was nothing short of legendary. 

The idea for 3 Wise DMs was his, as Thorin wanted to invest time into something that he felt passionate about; which was to talk about gaming and hear tales about campaigns past or present. But his favorite part was getting messages from listeners who needed advice, as he saw helping new and veteran DMs or someone with a problem in their campaign as a win for gamers everywhere.

Thank you for 110 episodes, countless hours of adventure, and even more amazing memories.

My brother, you will be forever missed.

From Dave

You know, the Greeks didn’t write obituaries, they only asked one question when a man died, ‘Did he have passion?’

Serendipity

I’m generally the tallest person in the room, ever since elementary school. I’ve always had to tilt my head downwards to talk with people. Whenever I’ve met someone even slightly taller than me, it seems as if they’re a giant. Then I met Thorin McGee, an actual giant. 

Yeah, he’s really tall and really broad. Hell, the guy played defense for the aptly named Ursinus College Bears. When I gave him a hug hello and goodbye, my head rested on his chest – and I’m 6’3”! But it’s what’s inside that chest that truly made Thorin a giant.

Everything about the man was big: his heart, his personality, his drive, his intelligence, his laugh, his competitive streak (as anyone who has spent as much time as we have with him at a board game or Dungeons & Dragons session), and his passion for life.

I met Thorin when I began attending a local Author’s Group in our area. As it is with gamers, we realized that we both played D&D and that was when my plan to convince Thorin to run a D&D group out of all authors took shape… it didn’t take that much convincing!

We started the Woodstock Wanderers and it started to snowball from there. Thorin asked me out for coffee one afternoon to meet his friend, Tony, and discuss an idea he had for a D&D podcast. Coffee led to dinner and a lot of laughs, which led to something that I never thought anyone would want to hear: the three of us discussing our problems while running TTRPGs.

It’s not ironic that Thorin had begun the first episode referring to leading this expedition. Without him, none of this would have ever happened. Period. The man, the literal giant, moved mountains with his will and his passion. It’s what makes all of this so hard.

I am going to miss my friend dearly. And I’m going to think of him every time I pick up a funny-looking set of dice. And it will be bittersweet.

I love you, Thorin.

Final Thoughts

For now, we are going to sit with our grief and let these heavy feelings process. After that, we are not sure what will happen.

We’ve talked about how just replacing Thorin is not going to happen. That would be like Led Zeppelin continuing without John Bonham. But then, there’s always the AC/DC model, where Brian Johnson came in and helped to heal the grief of the death of Bon Scott.

How do you honor a fallen friend, and pay proper respect to a legacy?

We would never have to answer any of these questions without every single one of you. We can never thank you for all of the support you’ve given us over nearly three years.

So we ask you to raise a glass and roll a d20 for our fallen giant. Share your favorite memories with us and please be patient with us as we traverse this new ground.

For anyone inclined, we have set up a GoFundMe to assist Thorin’s widow, Shannon, during this incredibly difficult time.

https://www.gofundme.com/f/thorin-mcgees-legacy-and-wife-fund

Love,

Tony and Dave