TSR Q&A with Gary Gygax

Col_Pladoh · Aug 22, 2006

rossik said:
[/I][/B]Queen of the Spiders was ranked the single greatest Dungeons & Dragons adventure of all time by Dungeon magazine in 2004, on the 30th anniversary of the Dungeons & Dragons game.[/I][/B]

Somehow I don't believe that was done by the veteran OAD&D audience, for I have received far too many comments panning the Q1 module :uhoh:

and it is worth noting that the rating was given for the module combining its predacessors, G 1-3 and D 1-3, not just Q1.

If the Abyss is a maze design on a towel, I am at a loss, completely overwhealmed

Cheers,
Gary

zypherillius · Aug 22, 2006

Hello again Mr. Gygax

I just had another quick question for you.
If I ever had the opportunity to play in a campaign run by yourself, would you allow me to come in as a 10th level Vice President? Or would I have to start at first level and work my way up?

Thanks

Andy

Col_Pladoh · Aug 22, 2006

zypherillius said:
I just had another quick question for you.
If I ever had the opportunity to play in a campaign run by yourself, would you allow me to come in as a 10th level Vice President? Or would I have to start at first level and work my way up?

Thanks
Andy

You could start as a 1st level Representative and work your way up, then switch classes to Senator or VP at about 8th level... :lol:

Cheers,
Gary

taliesin15 · Aug 23, 2006

Mr. Gygax:
Let me echo all the sentiments prevalent in these threads thanking you for your work in creating D&D!

Here's a question that might be a bit controversial: what do you think of D&D campaigns using deities worshipped in the contemporary "real" world? In early D&D publications there are references to saints (Cuthbert's mace, I believe?) and especially when Deities and Demigods came out, my friends and I all thought that an Arthurian flavored milieu would have to at least have some Christian (also pagan, naturally) elements to it. One of my D&D playing buddies made a joke about "Jesus Christ, Major Deity, 400 hit points, Lawful Good," etc. And of course there are some Oriental pantheons in DEities and Demigods. And in the DMG you have references to Arab/Muslim civilizations; for that matter, there's the whole thing about Assasins coming from the Arab world. Of course all that's been synthesized greatly in the fantasy literature. And yet, it wouldn't seem that hard to do to create a milieu where people worship Jesus, Mohammed, and so on.

Ron · Aug 23, 2006

Col_Pladoh said:
Somehow I don't believe that was done by the veteran OAD&D audience, for I have received far too many comments panning the Q1 module and it is worth noting that the rating was given for the module combining its predacessors, G 1-3 and D 1-3, not just Q1.

If the Abyss is a maze design on a towel, I am at a loss, completely overwhealmed

Cheers,
Gary

I didn't liked Q1, but the previous adventures, especially the G series, were so good that I can easily understand why the compilation was so well rated.

grodog · Aug 23, 2006

Col_Pladoh said:
As we have not begun discussion of what I'll do there, it is not possible for me to supply an answer, speculate on the program I will have.

If you had your druthers, what would you want to do? Perhaps play a game under Arneson or Kuntz? Play Mordy in someone's homebrew dungeon? Pass the dice around the table in a rousing round of Settlers?

What could we do to make your 40th anniversay GenCon memorable?

haakon1 · Aug 23, 2006

Col_Pladoh said:
At the last Milwaukee Gamefest I ran an LA game adventure where the participants were informed that their Avatars were meant to be slain. It was an hour before I managed the first, and at the end of the four session there was still one allive. Those were a great bunch of players, including the young lady who had her character climb a tree, beat the onrushing critters to it, and thus avoid the pack of ravening hyenas. She won the day for sure.

Ha! That's like how I play poker. Staying alive is good enough to make to the second last to die, most times. :\

Col_Pladoh · Aug 23, 2006

taliesin15 said:
Mr. Gygax:
Let me echo all the sentiments prevalent in these threads thanking you for your work in creating D&D!

Here's a question that might be a bit controversial: what do you think of D&D campaigns using deities worshipped in the contemporary "real" world? In early D&D publications there are references to saints (Cuthbert's mace, I believe?) and especially when Deities and Demigods came out, my friends and I all thought that an Arthurian flavored milieu would have to at least have some Christian (also pagan, naturally) elements to it. One of my D&D playing buddies made a joke about "Jesus Christ, Major Deity, 400 hit points, Lawful Good," etc. And of course there are some Oriental pantheons in DEities and Demigods. And in the DMG you have references to Arab/Muslim civilizations; for that matter, there's the whole thing about Assasins coming from the Arab world. Of course all that's been synthesized greatly in the fantasy literature. And yet, it wouldn't seem that hard to do to create a milieu where people worship Jesus, Mohammed, and so on.

Saint is not a term that is exclusive to the Christian religion, and St. Cuthbert was more of a joke than otherwise. Consider the advicacy of pounding sense into someone's head by dint of blows from a club.

I do not advocate any use of actual religion in an RPG. Any references I have made to Arab-like civizilations do not include any hint of Islam in them. the same holds for Judaism and Christianity. As a matter of fact, I did not write Deities and Demigods, nor did I use it in my campaign.

Cheers,
Gary

Col_Pladoh · Aug 23, 2006

Ron said:
I didn't liked Q1, but the previous adventures, especially the G series, were so good that I can easily understand why the compilation was so well rated.

Ah well,

I had what I consider a much more interesting plan for the conclusion of the G-D series, one in which the PC party could loose the Elder Elemental god or send him into deeper isolation, thus assisting Lolth to become more powerful. By very astute play, they could have thwarted the designs of both evil entities. The Demonweb Pits were indeed envisioned as mze like, but there were to be no machines therein.

Cheers,
Gary

Col_Pladoh · Aug 23, 2006

grodog said:
If you had your druthers, what would you want to do? Perhaps play a game under Arneson or Kuntz? Play Mordy in someone's homebrew dungeon? Pass the dice around the table in a rousing round of Settlers?

What could we do to make your 40th anniversay GenCon memorable?

Heh...

A change of pace from fantasy RPGing is refreshing, be it through playing in another's RPG campaign or through boardgames. About my favorite non-S&S RPG is Jim Ward's Metamorphosis Alpha game, and I should be playing in his campaign the next few Thursdays

I would really like to play an Avatar in my Lejendary AsteRogues Fantastical Science RPG, but that will have to wait for the rules to be published and someone local to decide to become the Lejend Master for such a campaign.

Of course I enjoy Settlers', as well as Puerto Rico, San Juan, ticket to ride Europe, Rail Baron, a whole host of Tom Wham's boardgames, etc. I get to play them at son Ernie's place when he has his weekly boardgaming session...today, in fact, this afternoon

Cheers,
Gary

TSR Q&A with Gary Gygax

Col_Pladoh

Gary Gygax

zypherillius

First Post

Col_Pladoh

Gary Gygax

taliesin15

First Post

Ron

Explorer

grodog

Hero

haakon1

Hero

Col_Pladoh

Gary Gygax

Col_Pladoh

Gary Gygax

Col_Pladoh

Gary Gygax

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