TSR Q&A with Gary Gygax

Welverin · Sep 17, 2002

Col_Pladoh said:
When I am involved in a project I usually work about six to 10 hours a day on it, seven per, save Sundays during football season.

Packers fan or did you end up liking another team?

Col_Pladoh · Sep 17, 2002

Welverin said:
Packers fan or did you end up liking another team?

Da BEARS!!! They've actually played two halves (both first halves were pathetic) and lucked out both games, so...2 and 0 baby!

That's because I was born in Chicago about four blocks from Wrigly Field--the Bears played there back in those days... Because my maternal family has been in Lake Geneva since c. 1836, I don't hate the Packers. Fact is, I'll root for them if it doesn't affect the Bears' chances for winning. Back when Bart Starr was QBing the Pack, I often watched their games in preference to Chicago--what a traitor I am.

A friend gave the motivational speech to the Bears a few years back, so I went with him up to Lambeau Field. ate breakfast with the team. then watched them get their asses handed to 'em

Even though I was decked out in all sorts of Bears' stuff, the Packer fans were really pretty gracious, so I didn't have to slink out of the stadium...

One last thinh: Back when the Bears won the championship, better believe I made a LOT of money on bets with die-hard Packer fans

Cheerio,
Gary

Archade · Sep 18, 2002

Gaming!

Hi Gary,

Firstly, I'd like to thank you for introducing me to Jack Vance's work ... his use of the english language and the fantasy store is original, challenging to the reader, and rich with texture!

Secondly, I have a generic gaming question for you. I've had a number of campaigns over the years, and I find as a DM/GM/etc once the story is up and running, it's simple to keep the ongoing soap opera going. However, starting, or working towards a grand finale, is ever a challenge for me.

As a Storyteller (DM/GM/etc), how do you put your adventures and campaigns to paper, plan (or improvise) such things, and all in all, can you give some insight to your many years as a game-running-guru in this regard?

Thanks!
Archade

MerricB · Sep 18, 2002

G'day, Gary!

A few more questions on early D&D:

The Thief & the Assassin...

Were they played much as PCs in your games?

If you can remember, who played the first Thief? (I notice that it's not introduced until the Greyhawk supplement).

And how common were demi-human PCs, with the vast restrictions on them seemingly working against playing them in the longer term?

Again, thanks muchly for your time and patience!

Cheers!

DDK · Sep 18, 2002

Col_Pladoh said:
It is dawning on me that I could well spend my declining years pleasantly engaged in answering posts here...

I think it is safe to say that you shall never decline. Your devotion to the crafting of make-believe and entertainment; combined with your willingness to be involved at the grass roots level, ie. here, pretty much assures your immortality.

Having said that, LONG LIVE GYGAX!

I'd just like to say that my respect for you has grown considerably over the last year or so. Being completely chaotic neutral (it's a description of my personality that just happens to be exceptionally accurate, I don't fit it, it fits me), I of course railed against the fanboys and set about to bring down the heirarchy of worshipers. What can I say? It's in my nature to go against the popular flow.

But after reading through a lot of material that you had written (mainly a lot of Greyhawk stuff) and having seen you engage in such helpful and constructive enterprises as this Q&A, I couldn't help but re-evaluate my stance.

You're a credit to creativity and I thank you for all the work you've done over the years that has inspired and entertained me. I only hope that one day I can attain even a fraction of your genius (any chance of a piece of DNA?

).

Hikaru · Sep 18, 2002

D&D cartoon & nostalgia

Any hope to ever see a sequel to the ol' D&D cartoon?

Col_Pladoh · Sep 18, 2002

Re: Gaming!

Archade said:
Hi Gary,

Firstly, I'd like to thank you for introducing me to Jack Vance's work ... his use of the english language and the fantasy store is original, challenging to the reader, and rich with texture!

You are most welcome. How I do agree! I can read and re-rad Vance as no other author. His characters are so clecverly developed with few descriptive passages, their personalities coming forth from their dialog--and what dialog. I think Keith Lauramer in his "Retiff" yarns comes close in that regard, albeit he is dealing with his subjects in a humorous vein, by ald large.

[B[Secondly, I have a generic gaming question for you. I've had a number of campaigns over the years, and I find as a DM/GM/etc once the story is up and running, it's simple to keep the ongoing soap opera going. However, starting, or working towards a grand finale, is ever a challenge for me.

As a Storyteller (DM/GM/etc), how do you put your adventures and campaigns to paper, plan (or improvise) such things, and all in all, can you give some insight to your many years as a game-running-guru in this regard?

[/B]

Sure, and first of all, I don't ever think of myself as a "storyteller." that role is fulfilled in the course of play through the combination of the GM and the players, each doing their part to develop and bring to fruition, the basic outline of the episode--that part being the work of the GM, of course.

BNEginning a new adventure thread is often difficult when play sessions are frequent and intensive. Currently we play once a week only, so I have plenty of time for conceiving new material. If I am lazy I can always grab an adventure module

When we played several times a week, and the groups were different, I would often allow in-game discourse between PCs to develop a plaot and direct the general direction of things. Not surprisingly, the players ofter know pretty well what sort of adventure they would enjoy, so by listening and creating by the seat of one's pants can work wonders...or at least squeek by with something that's mildly entertaining to the group.

Cheerio,
Gary

Col_Pladoh · Sep 18, 2002

MerricB said:
G'day, Gary!

A few more questions on early D&D:

The Thief & the Assassin...

Were they played much as PCs in your games?

If you can remember, who played the first Thief? (I notice that it's not introduced until the Greyhawk supplement).

And how common were demi-human PCs, with the vast restrictions on them seemingly working against playing them in the longer term?

Again, thanks muchly for your time and patience!

Cheers!

Whoa! Recalling many details from late 1974 on ain't likely. My campaign players were the testers of all the new ideas, so the thied and assassin were played by me as NPCs in the middle of the year, 1974, as I began to compile material for a supplement to the D&D game. The thief was immediately popular, so quite a number were played before GREYHAWK hit in 1975. One or two assassin PCs were played also, but the party was always charry about them. Minor pilfering of party treasure was tolerated, but having a PC offed by an assassin was most annoying. That happened once, maybe twice, with theoffending PC then leaviing the game, the player returning as a different character.

As for demi-humans, they were always played extensively from day one. All sorts of dwarf, elf, and hobbit (later halfling) PCS--later on gnome and half-orc too. Fact is I once had a (short-lived) half-orc cleric-assassin PC

Seems his adventure mates weren't sorry to see him offed.

I still have the dwarf character, Zigbie, who is topped off in level-- and that's with all the OAD&D (with UA) additions to what level can be attained--but now and then shows up in play.

All the players opting to play demi-human PCs knew the limitations, accepted them, and had great fun playing the role chosen. After all, the game doesn't have to be about power, eh?

In my opinion, in a world setting where humans are dominant, there is logic for setting level limits on non-human PCs. That's a whole other discussion though

Cheerio,
Gary

Col_Pladoh · Sep 18, 2002

Fourecks said:
I think it is safe to say that you shall never decline. Your devotion to the crafting of make-believe and entertainment; combined with your willingness to be involved at the grass roots level, ie. here, pretty much assures your immortality.

Having said that, LONG LIVE GYGAX!

Aw quit! You're making me blush

Fact is that I really do consider myself as a gamer like y'all here.

I'd just like to say that my respect for you has grown considerably over the last year or so. Being completely chaotic neutral (it's a description of my personality that just happens to be exceptionally accurate, I don't fit it, it fits me), I of course railed against the fanboys and set about to bring down the heirarchy of worshipers. What can I say? It's in my nature to go against the popular flow.

Heh, and that's a pretty normal thing, and not likely to put you into the ranks of the bad guys. Fact is that a number of decent gamers just don't like my work. I understand that well, as I am not a fan of many a creative thing that lots of people think simply marvelous. No biggie. Sort of like preferring sngle malt Scotch whiskey to Canadian or bourbon, etc. Who gets their undies in a bunch over that sort of thing?

But after reading through a lot of material that you had written (mainly a lot of Greyhawk stuff) and having seen you engage in such helpful and constructive enterprises as this Q&A, I couldn't help but re-evaluate my stance.

Well, just don't get all muchie now, hear?

You're a credit to creativity and I thank you for all the work you've done over the years that has inspired and entertained me. I only hope that one day I can attain even a fraction of your genius (any chance of a piece of DNA? ).

Thankee kindly! I have a lot of fun doing what I do, so it isn't exactly a sacrifice when I spend so much time having at it, if you will. What I do miss is gaming as much as I once was able to do--before becoming a "pro" and when I was directing things at TSR and getting to play-test many a design. Thus the quip about retiring to play games once again. Which reminds me to add that I;ll go to cons incognito so as to be able to play undisturbed. Quick story:

Back in the late 1970s I was at a Detroit MEtro Gamers con. got invited to slip off to the basement of the facility to join a Napoleonics miniatures battle, and I went off with alacrity. As I was playing (the Russians on the left wing of an Austro-Russian army opposing the French), an RPGer came down, spotted me, and excalained in surprise that he didn't know that I as into military miniatures. I laughed silently, for the boardgamers wuse to berate me forbecoming a miniatures player, then those buffs for going to fantasy, when the truth was and is that I didn't abandon any of those game forms, just expanded my horizons.

Cheerio,
Gary

Col_Pladoh · Sep 18, 2002

Re: D&D cartoon & nostalgia

Hikaru said:
Any hope to ever see a sequel to the ol' D&D cartoon?

Too late! You've pulled the wrong lever, and the pit of another sad tale yawns beneath your feet...

I got forced out to California to run what was then TSR Entertainment. That name I changed to "Dundeons & Dragons Entertaiment Corporation" because having dealt with the boys back in LAke Geneva, the name "TSR" conjured a most unfortunate image in the monds of those out on the West Coast who ran things in TV and movies.

So it was an expensive proposition, maintaining offices out there, for it takes at least a year for an outsider to be considered potentially suitable for insider status, even with a cartoon show running on TV, a major net then, CBS. So I fought the good fight, was finally getting somewhere when "doping lunch" and "taking a meeting" out in LA.

Although the third season of the D&D Cartoon Show saw only five new episodes, we were working on a major motion picture project that was making great progress towards getting into pre-production stage, in serious discussion for a game showm and best of all we had cut a verbal deal for a cartoon show spin-off.

Gail saw to it that Judy Price from CBS and Margaret Loesch and Hank Sayoran from Marvel Entertainment had a comfortable meeting at our location, with white wine and cold shrimp for the evening break. Meantime I pitched my concept of a more adult-oriented spin-off of the show, sans Bobby the Barbarian and Uni--those two remaining back onearth when the Call to Adventure sounded again for the other Heroes. After a meeting that lasted about six hours, we took the lot down to Beverly Hills to a good italian restautant for a late supper--it was about 10 PM by then. None of the three had ever dined in BH before, even though they lived over in the Valley. The supper went as well as the meeting. and we [parted after midnight.

In a couple of days time we got word that it was a go, CBS was eager to move forward. Soon thereafter Marvel sent me the first script for the new series, and told me two more had been assigned to writers. The opening show was great, the "kids" were no longer reliant on hoaky magic items, had skills and their own abilities in the main.

Of course the TSR financial crisis of 1984 then occurred, so I had to hasten back to Lake Geneva. That put all projects on hold. Then I lost the stock fight. When it was learned that I was no longer involved, that ended the new cartoon series, and the other projects too. What a wretched result

Gary

TSR Q&A with Gary Gygax

Welverin

First Post

Col_Pladoh

Gary Gygax

Archade

Azer Paladin

MerricB

Eternal Optimist

DDK

Banned

Hikaru

First Post

Col_Pladoh

Gary Gygax

Col_Pladoh

Gary Gygax

Col_Pladoh

Gary Gygax

Col_Pladoh

Gary Gygax

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