Gary Gygax Q&A, Part VIII

Steverooo · 19th February 2005, 12:15 AM

Continued from here:

Gary Gygax Q&A: part VII

Steverooo · 19th February 2005, 12:28 AM

In 1e, Gary, did you ever find the Ranger's +1 HP/level damage bonus to "Giant-class Creatures" to be a problem, at higher levels? (Sir Robilar, for example, was a Ranger, for a while, as was Ararat.) Did this cause problems, at higher levels? Would you change it, now?

Col_Pladoh · 19th February 2005, 12:29 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Steverooo

Continued from here:

Gary Gygax Q&A: part VII

Dude!

I'm on it so that notices of responses will be emailed to me

Cheers,
Gary

MerricB · 19th February 2005, 12:44 AM

Happy new thread, Gary! (wow, part 8... where does the time go?)

Gary, thanks to D&D you have introduced many of us - of not most of us - to an unforgettable experience:

The use of the d4 as a caltrop.

Many has been the time that I've got out of bed at night, only to suddenly feel something sharp and painful digging into my foot. If my mind worked faster at such times, I might have been calling down imprecations on your name, but as it doesn't the most I can normally manage is "Ow!" (or some choice swearing).

Could you please tell me if you had any idea what you were unleashing on the world when you included the d4 as part of the standard D&D game (and whether you've ever experienced this exquisite sensation yourself)?

Best wishes,
Merric

Gray Mouser · 19th February 2005, 01:43 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Steverooo

In 1e, Gary, did you ever find the Ranger's +1 HP/level damage bonus to "Giant-class Creatures" to be a problem, at higher levels? (Sir Robilar, for example, was a Ranger, for a while, as was Ararat.) Did this cause problems, at higher levels? Would you change it, now?

Robilar was a Ranger at one point? Huh, I never heard that before. Is this info from Rob and/or Gary?

If he was a Ranger I assume he experienced normal penalties when he went to an Evil alignment (or even a Neutral one on his way out of Good).

Gray Mouser

Gray Mouser · 19th February 2005, 01:48 AM

Quote:

I don't use any alignments in my game campaigns nowadays because the concept caused so much misunderstanding and confusion; but actions speak louder than words, and as clearly as words on character sheets

Cheers,
Gary

This is pretty interesting, Gary. Is this a fairly recent development or did you stop using Alignment (and I assume alignment languages) back in your TSR days? Any problems rear up when DMing or playing a traditionally alignment-bound class (viz., Paladins, Druids, Assassins, etc.)?

Personally, I never had a problem with alignments as I was a big Michael Moorecock fan (I also thought that the 9 alignment variations was a marked improvement over the L/C/N triad). I know some people don't like alignments, or try to use alignments that are some "realistic", e.g., Palladium's alignment system (at least the one it used to use, it's been a while).

Gray Mouser

Gray Mouser · 19th February 2005, 01:52 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Col_Pladoh

I got tired of having only basically good gnomes hanging around. I thought that the svirfneblin would add some spice to the otherwise dull race. Of course my gnome illusionist/thief PC was always trying to do much the same...

Heh, any memorable escapades with your Gnome PC? What was his name, btw?

I always liked Gnomes, myself. Letting them be Illusionists was a great idea!

Gray Mouser

foehammerx · 19th February 2005, 07:10 AM

Hey gary, Did you roll up Bigby at first level and play him from the start? I heard a story which made it sound like Bigy was an npc that you charmed and later became your PC.

dead · 19th February 2005, 08:43 AM

Hi Gary,

In the back of UA there is an appendix with an example demihuman pantheon in it. Was this *officially* given the OK by you to become canon for the Greyhawk campaign?

I've got a feeling it wasn't. I felt that it was only an *example* pantheon presented in UA and it was only later (after you left) that TSR decided to make it GH canon.

If this is the case, did you have your own original thoughts on what the gods of the elves, dwarves, halflings, etc. should be? (And monsterkind.)

Certainly Lolth and Bibdoolpoop are your creations, so drow and kuo-toa are accounted for.

Perhaps you envisioned dwarves as just worshipping Ulaa and elves just worshipping Ehlonna? Or are the gods as presented in the World of Greyhawk Fantasy Setting just human gods?

I would love to hear your thoughts.

Thanks.

hero4hire · 19th February 2005, 09:14 AM

Mr. Gygax,

1st of all thank you for making a great game, and inspiring so many adventures for 28 of my 35 years.

My long-term gamer buddies and I (all veterans of OD&D) all joke about going through those old modules and running past the bad guy to look for something in his treasure that would be sure to defeat him. While we overexagerrate this point for laughs it does have some truth to it.
Was this to get players to try to that very thing? Or perhaps some more sadistic purpouse? *smiles evilly*

mossfoot · 19th February 2005, 02:01 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Col_Pladoh

Dude!

I'm on it so that notices of responses will be emailed to me

Cheers,
Gary

There is something immensely amusing about the thought of Gary saying "Dude!" I can imagine it now... Gary Gygax and Dave Arneson star in

"Dude, where's my game?"

Gary - I just named my cleric and he's awesome!

Dave - Same here, my ranger totally rocks!

Gary - What's his name?

Dave - DUDE! What's yours?

Gary - SWEET! So what you're ranger's name?

Dave - Dude!

Gary - Dude, what's his name?

Dave - DUDE!

(and so on and so forth...)

Virel · 19th February 2005, 04:41 PM

Gary, will you share the orgin of the the "Kewl River" on the Greyhawk map with us?

Reason I ask is the very first time I saw that word was on the Greyhawk maps. The "Kewl River" near the Gnarley Forest. This was way back in 1980. Does word Kewl have a history before GreyHawk?

Flip a few letters around and you get "Welk" as in Welkwood Forest also in Greyhawk. Is there some sort of anagram connection?

Or have I just spent too much time looking at Darlenes wonderful maps of your Greyhawk setting?

mythusmage · 19th February 2005, 04:56 PM

That's simple, the river is kewl and the forest is gnarly. Which means adventures in the area are bodacious.

(You don't spend 49+ years in California without learning some of the lingo.

)

Col_Pladoh · 19th February 2005, 05:34 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Steverooo

In 1e, Gary, did you ever find the Ranger's +1 HP/level damage bonus to "Giant-class Creatures" to be a problem, at higher levels? (Sir Robilar, for example, was a Ranger, for a while, as was Ararat.) Did this cause problems, at higher levels? Would you change it, now?

Howdy Steveeroo!

First, I must say that Robilar was never anything other than a fighter.

The ranger's bonus of +1 damage per level was very annoying to me as the DM, but that encouraged the logical addition of damage for the big old giant class members, so that a couple of solid hits from a member of same could flatten the cheeky little ranger attacking him.

What the heck, though: clerics beat up on undead, rangers on giant class critters, and it's all in a day's adventuring. As should any DM, some of the kicked around thus will have special defenses and offenses devised to make life difficult for the bully PC

Cheers,
Gary

Col_Pladoh · 19th February 2005, 05:45 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MerricB

Happy new thread, Gary! (wow, part 8... where does the time go?)

Gary, thanks to D&D you have introduced many of us - of not most of us - to an unforgettable experience:

The use of the d4 as a caltrop.

Many has been the time that I've got out of bed at night, only to suddenly feel something sharp and painful digging into my foot. If my mind worked faster at such times, I might have been calling down imprecations on your name, but as it doesn't the most I can normally manage is "Ow!" (or some choice swearing).

Could you please tell me if you had any idea what you were unleashing on the world when you included the d4 as part of the standard D&D game (and whether you've ever experienced this exquisite sensation yourself)?

Best wishes,
Merric

Hi Merric

As the real old timers know, I was always an active gamer since I discovered there were fanzines offering a forum for one's gaming thoughts, opinions, and play offerings. In short, I've been balbbering thus for about 40 years, so it's no wonder a lot of my fellows are familiar with my name.

The d4 was one of the five Platonic solids sold by the school supply company in California from which I obtained the first of the new milti-sided dice that were introduced in the first edition of the D&D game, I have indeed stepped with stocking feet on one of those yelow caltrops--also a d8, that being back in the early 1970s. Thereafter I made a point of picking up all of my dice and keeping them off the floor.

Cats seem to love to play dith d20s, BTW, and a few were lost that way to various felines that resided in my house.

When I'd leave my dog "Bowser" (a bull mastiff) alone he would get revenge that included shredding my dice bag and leaving a minefield of milti-sided dice in my bedroom and in the kitchen...the devil know where I was sure to go :\

Cheers,
Gary

Col_Pladoh · 19th February 2005, 05:55 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Gray Mouser

This is pretty interesting, Gary. Is this a fairly recent development or did you stop using Alignment (and I assume alignment languages) back in your TSR days? Any problems rear up when DMing or playing a traditionally alignment-bound class (viz., Paladins, Druids, Assassins, etc.)?

Personally, I never had a problem with alignments as I was a big Michael Moorecock fan (I also thought that the 9 alignment variations was a marked improvement over the L/C/N triad). I know some people don't like alignments, or try to use alignments that are some "realistic", e.g., Palladium's alignment system (at least the one it used to use, it's been a while).

Gray Mouser

Allow me to answer in this manner:

When players began to announce their character's alignment to other participants I shuddered. I suggested that such information was not for broadcast, that the PCs might not actually think of themselves as categorized thus, and the alignment categories were meant more to guide the player in playing his character in the game.

As for alignment language, I assumed that it was akin to Latin in regard to use. Clerics would be fluent in their use of their alignment language, the devout and well-educated nearly as able, and at the middle and lower end of the spectrum only rudimentary communications could be managed.

Somehow I supposed that DMs would arrive at similar conclusions unaided.

The Lejendary Adventure game uses Repute, Dark Repute, and Disrepute as pubicaly known measures of the characters' reputation. These generally equate to honorable, shady, and wicked.

Cheerio,
Gary

Col_Pladoh · 19th February 2005, 06:01 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Gray Mouser

Heh, any memorable escapades with your Gnome PC? What was his name, btw?

I always liked Gnomes, myself. Letting them be Illusionists was a great idea!

Gray Mouser

The gnome illusionist/thief is named Snurri "Sharpnose." He had a good deal of enjoyment swiping the gains pocked by a halfling magic-user/thief played by my youngest son Alex. (Durned if I can recall Alex's PC's name, and he isn't here to ask. Probably the character sheet is lost after several years of non-use.)

Other than that, the two were active in some rural adventures and thwarted many the vile plans of marauding humanoids and humans as well.
cheers,
Gary

Col_Pladoh · 19th February 2005, 06:04 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by foehammerx

Hey gary, Did you roll up Bigby at first level and play him from the start? I heard a story which made it sound like Bigy was an npc that you charmed and later became your PC.

Mordenkainen did indeed manage to get the drop on Bigby, charm him. At the time bigby was a 3rd level NE dungeon dweller. By word and deen Mordie brought him around from NE to N, and thus Bigby became his apprentice. I got to roll the stats for that character after rob determined he was a loyal henchman of Mordenkainen.

Cheers,
Gary

tenkar · 19th February 2005, 06:08 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Col_Pladoh

Allow me to answer in this manner:

Somehow I supposed that DMs would arrive at similar conclusions unaided.

Cheerio,
Gary

Assuming that the minds of 13 year old DMs would hold up to yours was an ambitious thought

We kinda glossed over alignment languages in my games. Wasn't really needed, therefore it wasn't missed.

Col_Pladoh · 19th February 2005, 06:16 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by dead

Hi Gary,

In the back of UA there is an appendix with an example demihuman pantheon in it. Was this *officially* given the OK by you to become canon for the Greyhawk campaign?

I've got a feeling it wasn't. I felt that it was only an *example* pantheon presented in UA and it was only later (after you left) that TSR decided to make it GH canon.

The latter is indeed the case, although i did put the "offcial" stamp onriger Moore's demi-human deities for those who wished to include such entities in their WoG campaigns.

Quote:

If this is the case, did you have your own original thoughts on what the gods of the elves, dwarves, halflings, etc. should be? (And monsterkind.)

Heh, and in my campaign the demi-humans and humanoids acknowledged the same pantheons as humans did.

Quote:

Certainly Lolth and Bibdoolpoop are your creations, so drow and kuo-toa are accounted for.

Just so. As a matter of fact, the vast majority of all the "monsters" in the original D&D and AD&D games are all of my creation, as i either made them up out of my imaination or else shaped them for the system they were used in.

Quote:

Perhaps you envisioned dwarves as just worshipping Ulaa and elves just worshipping Ehlonna? Or are the gods as presented in the World of Greyhawk Fantasy Setting just human gods?

I would love to hear your thoughts.

Thanks.

And so you have them

Cheers,
Gary