TSR Q&A with Gary Gygax

Col_Pladoh · Feb 3, 2007

EvilPheemy said:
It's certainly become difficult to ask you a fresh question considering there's 12 threads and Lord only Knows how many articles, interviews, and essays out there. My 8 year old son received from Santa-Dad his first copy of Dungeons and Dragons this year.

I'm currently preparing a few of the old classic modules like Keep on the Borderlands, and Palace of the Silver Princess to send him and his friends through.

Having introduced your own children to the hobby, do you have any advice, anecdotes or warnings for me?

Howdy,

Only a couple of observations regarding ploaying with very young participants:

They grow frustrated quickly unless they achieve some minor success periodically and are rewarded therefor in even a small way.

Never allow their PCs to meet an end, as that is too traumatic. Even losing a treasured magic item or a trusted henchman or animal companion is likely to sent them from the gaming table in a funk, if not in tears.

Only after playing for several months is it possible to be more rigorous in GMing for youngesters.

Cheers,
Gary

BOZ · Feb 9, 2007

Hey Gary, if you're up to answering questions...

I remember ever since reading the Fellowship of the Rings, that the hobbits encountered a man-eating tree on the way to meet Tom Bombadil. i've long wondered if that served as inspiration for the Black Willow from MM2?

Col_Pladoh · Feb 9, 2007

BOZ said:
Hey Gary, if you're up to answering questions...

I remember ever since reading the Fellowship of the Rings, that the hobbits encountered a man-eating tree on the way to meet Tom Bombadil. i've long wondered if that served as inspiration for the Black Willow from MM2?

Hi Boz,

Happy to answer questions once again.

The malign Old Man Willow got me interested in the folklore detailing such sentient and evil trees. So indeed, the inspiration was linked to JRRT's writing. English folklore is my main source, though, even if I can no longer remember in which books I found such information.

Cheers,
Gary

grodog · Feb 10, 2007

Hi Gary---

I'm glad to see you back on the boards, and in better health

There have been several discussions recently here about the inspirational reading list from the DMG (Appendix N), at http://www.enworld.org/showthread.php?t=186802 and http://www.enworld.org/showthread.php?t=186812 and http://www.enworld.org/showthread.php?t=186846. Here's the original list, for quick reference (using the DMG list plus the two authors/works that appeared in The Dragon but weren't in the DMG):

Anderson, Poul. THREE HEARTS AND THREE LIONS; THE HIGH CRUSADE; THE BROKEN SWORD
Bellairs, John. THE FACE IN THE FROST
Algernon Blackwood
Brackett, Leigh.
Brown, Fredric.
Burroughs, Edgar Rice, "Pellucidar" Series; Mars Series; Venus Series
Carter, Lin. "World's End" Series
de Camp, L. Sprague. LEST DARKNESS FALL; FALLIBLE FIEND; et al.
de Camp & Pratt. "Harold Shea" Series; CARNELIAN CUBE
Derleth, August.
Dunsany, Lord.
Farmer, P. J. "The World of the Tiers" Series; et al.
Fox, Gardner. "Kothar" Series; "Kyrik" Series; et al.
Howard, R. E. "Conan" Series
Lanier, Sterling. HIERO'S JOURNEY
Leiber, Fritz. "Fafhrd & Gray Mouser" Series; et al.
Lovecraft, H. P.
Merritt, A. CREEP, SHADOW, CREEP;MOON POOL; DWELLERS IN THE MIRAGE; et al.
Moorcock, Michael. STORMBRINGER; STEALER OF SOULS; "Hawkmoon" Series (esp. the first three books)
Norton, Andre.
Offutt, Andrew J., editor SWORDS AGAINST DARKNESS III.
Pratt, Fletcher, BLUE STAR; et al.
Fred Saberhagen Changling Earth
St. Clair, Margaret. THE SHADOW PEOPLE; SIGN OF THE LABRYS
Tolkien, J. R. R. THE HOBBIT; "Ring Trilogy"
Vance, Jack. THE EYES OF THE OVERWORLD; THE DYING EARTH; et al.
Weinbaum, Stanley.
Wellman, Manly Wade.
Williamson, Jack.
Zelazny, Roger. JACK OF SHADOWS; "Amber" Series; et al.

My question to you is, if you were writing D&D for the first time, now in 2007, how would your Appendix N listings differ from your original selections? Would you add some more contemporary authors (like Neil Gaiman, George R. R. Martin, Lucius Shepard, etc.)? Would you add more contemporary works of the listed authors (Zelazny's more-recent Amber books, Leiber's concluding F&GM books, etc.)? Would you remove some authors who may not inspire you today like they did in the early 1970s (Frederick Brown, Margaret St. Clair, John Bellairs, etc.)? Would you add non-literary media (comic books, films, television, music, etc.)? Would you add more non-fiction (history, mythology, etc.)?

On some level I'm asking what inspires you today, but I'm also curious about how your tastes have changed (if they have).

Thanks, as always, for sharing your thoughts

thedungeondelver · Feb 11, 2007

Two for you, Gary...

One: laying aside LEJENDARY ADVENTURES for a moment, do you think DANGEROUS JOURNEYS is still a viable system? That is, would you recommend someone check it out?

Two: Assuming AD&D rules, are you of the opinion that a cleric/paladin dual-class (with the necessary stat requirements being met) is permissable?

Col_Pladoh · Feb 11, 2007

grodog said:
Hi Gary---

I'm glad to see you back on the boards, and in better health

There have been several discussions recently here about the inspirational reading list from the DMG (Appendix N), at http://www.enworld.org/showthread.php?t=186802 and http://www.enworld.org/showthread.php?t=186812 and http://www.enworld.org/showthread.php?t=186846. Here's the original list, for quick reference (using the DMG list plus the two authors/works that appeared in The Dragon but weren't in the DMG):

My question to you is, if you were writing D&D for the first time, now in 2007, how would your Appendix N listings differ from your original selections? Would you add some more contemporary authors (like Neil Gaiman, George R. R. Martin, Lucius Shepard, etc.)? Would you add more contemporary works of the listed authors (Zelazny's more-recent Amber books, Leiber's concluding F&GM books, etc.)? Would you remove some authors who may not inspire you today like they did in the early 1970s (Frederick Brown, Margaret St. Clair, John Bellairs, etc.)? Would you add non-literary media (comic books, films, television, music, etc.)? Would you add more non-fiction (history, mythology, etc.)?

On some level I'm asking what inspires you today, but I'm also curious about how your tastes have changed (if they have).

Thanks, as always, for sharing your thoughts

Howdy,

The fact is that I wouldn't change the list much, other than to add a couple of novels such as Lanier's second Hiero yarn, Piers Anthony's Split Infinity series, and the Disc World books.
I would never add other media forms to a reading list. If someone is interested in comic books and.or graphic novels, they're on their own.

Cheers,
Gary

Col_Pladoh · Feb 11, 2007

thedungeondelver said:
Two for you, Gary...

One: laying aside LEJENDARY ADVENTURES for a moment, do you think DANGEROUS JOURNEYS is still a viable system? That is, would you recommend someone check it out?

Two: Assuming AD&D rules, are you of the opinion that a cleric/paladin dual-class (with the necessary stat requirements being met) is permissable?

If one really enjoys great detail in one's character, then the DJ Mythus game is fine. Howeverm I must point out that the work in incomplete, lacks the Faerie Bestiary and the several other RPG genre games that were meant to round out the game;s milieu.

As a point of order, much of the game rules were designed to be modular, so the Journey Master could plug in or unplug such parts as he found suitable for his taste and that of his player group.

Cheers,
Gary

rossik · Feb 11, 2007

Col_Pladoh said:
Howdy,

.... and the Disc World books.

Cheers,
Gary

first, its very good to see you back and well, mr gygax!

second: disc world would be great inspiration, good to know that u like it too

Korgoth · Feb 11, 2007

A question for you, Gary:

In B2 Keep on the Borderlands we have examples of humanoid habitation that resemble primitive life: a family/clan dwelling in a cave, complete with 'women and children'. The question of how to handle humanoid women and children still comes up today. What was the rationale for including females and young rather than, say, making humanoids some sort of sui generis products of nightmare, witchery or divine intervention/retribution, like (presumably, at least) a minotaur?

Col_Pladoh · Feb 12, 2007

rossik said:
first, its very good to see you back and well, mr gygax!

second: disc world would be great inspiration, good to know that u like it too

I even added a great class of magical items to the Lejendary Adventure game's list of "Extraordinary Items," this being called "Footlocker."

Gary

TSR Q&A with Gary Gygax

Col_Pladoh

Gary Gygax

BOZ

Creature Cataloguer

Col_Pladoh

Gary Gygax

grodog

Hero

thedungeondelver

Adventurer

Col_Pladoh

Gary Gygax

Col_Pladoh

Gary Gygax

rossik

Explorer

Korgoth

First Post

Col_Pladoh

Gary Gygax

Similar Threads

Related Articles

Latest threads

AD6_gamerati_skyscraper

Recent & Upcoming Releases