TSR Q&A with Gary Gygax

Col_Pladoh · Aug 7, 2006

Joshua Randall said:
Esteemed Colonel,

In another discussion, a question has arisen regarding certain "game-changing" 5th-level spells that typically become available at 9th level.

Those "game-changing" spells (1) allow you to travel vast distances (teleport), (2) allow you to thwart death (raise dead), and (3) allow you to tap the knowledge of the gods to get information (commune).

The question is, did you deliberately design (original) D&D so that these "game-changing" spells would become available precisely at 9th level? In other words, precisely when the PCs reach Name Level, they get access to "game-changing" spells -- was this intentional, or a fortuitous accident?

Howdy,

Setting aside the suggestion that those particular spells are "game changing," which is highly debatable in my opinion, that they are gained at 9th level was quite intentional. Of course later on spells of sometimes greater power were added, so name level for magic-users moved up from 9th, eh?

Cheers,
Gary

MerricB · Aug 8, 2006

Col_Pladoh said:
The fellows at Necromancer games got the license for Necropolis from WotC, the owner of the copyright to the work via acquisition of TSR.

There are indeed some fiendish traps in that module

Oh, there certainly are! Enough so that my friends still talk about the adventure.

It's funny: whenever they get cursed these days, one of them intones "That was the first curse of the Set Rahotep!" or whatever number seems appropriate. Given we've been playing a few board games that have curses of late, Rahotep's influence has been definitely spreading.

Thanks muchly, Gary!

Thunderfoot · Aug 8, 2006

Not a gaming question but just wondered if you had seen this yet?

I nearly wet myself... :lol:

BOZ · Aug 8, 2006

Piratecat said:
That's what happens with memory moss!

tee hee!

thanks gary, and everyone else!

Col_Pladoh · Aug 8, 2006

MerricB said:
Oh, there certainly are! Enough so that my friends still talk about the adventure.

It's funny: whenever they get cursed these days, one of them intones "That was the first curse of the Set Rahotep!" or whatever number seems appropriate. Given we've been playing a few board games that have curses of late, Rahotep's influence has been definitely spreading.

Thanks muchly, Gary!

Heh... Welcome and my thanks for the good words

I had plans for an even more fearsome module with a computer game version where the Heroic Personas, let's call them PCs here, were to persue Rahotep into the Egyptian underworld, the Duat. In the beginning of the module the PCs would be given aid by the benign deities of shadow, so that they could survive. In the computer version the player could have Setne Inhetep or a beefed up Khonsu Khiabet, or start his one PC. If the player killed Rahotep, or beat him to the exit, the bad guy loses, must remain in the underworld forever...maybe.

The setting is indeed wierd and horrific.

Cheers,
Gary

Rakin · Aug 8, 2006

Hey Gary,
As someone that constantly feels that's more rewarding to flesh things out and figure things out myself, I rarley use or seek out tools to help my gaming, such as magazines, modules, premade maps and the such. I pretty much game only using the corebooks, a pencil, paper, character sheets, graph paper, and any notes I've written myself. I guess what my question is if I'm missing much? Or better yet what makes tabletop gaming fun for you or what makes it successful in your eyes? Is it the people you play with? Is it the story offered up by the GM? Is it the fights? Is it when something unpredictable happens? Is it when someone does something out of the ordinary to solve a puzzle? Or is it when others make you laugh ingame? Or something else. I know for most people they probably going to take the easy way out and say all of they above, doiy! But I was wondering if there was one certian thing that draws you to gaming.

I just want to make sure that my players are getting all that I can offer and that my obsession of that feeling I get when people usse something I create isn't getting in the way of my players having the best time they can. Thanks.

EDIT: Edited to offer up this question to anyone else reading in

Col_Pladoh · Aug 8, 2006

Thunderfoot said:
Not a gaming question but just wondered if you had seen this yet?

I nearly wet myself...

Yes indeed. I received it from someone about a week ago, sent it around to my lists and various correspondents

Cheers,
gary

Col_Pladoh · Aug 8, 2006

BOZ said:
tee hee!

thanks gary, and everyone else!

:\

And not one groaning post regarding my clever pun on that:

"At least it doesn't grow south on you."

Maybe if I explain: Grow for go, south being a loss or bad, and moss being found on the north side of the tree trunk...

:heh:

Gary

ghul · Aug 8, 2006

Col_Pladoh said:
:\

And not one groaning post regarding my clever pun on that:

"At least it doesn't grow south on you."

Maybe if I explain: Grow for go, south being a loss or bad, and moss being found on the north side of the tree trunk...

Gary

At the root of it all, I lichen this to acorny form of punnery.

--Ghul

grodog · Aug 8, 2006

To quote Bill the Cat: "Ack! Thbbbt!"

TSR Q&A with Gary Gygax

Col_Pladoh

Gary Gygax

MerricB

Eternal Optimist

Thunderfoot

Hero

BOZ

Creature Cataloguer

Col_Pladoh

Gary Gygax

Rakin

First Post

Col_Pladoh

Gary Gygax

Col_Pladoh

Gary Gygax

ghul

Explorer

grodog

Hero

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