This is the multi-year Q&A sessions held by D&D co-creator Gary Gygax here at EN World, beginning in 2002 and running up until his sad pasing in 2008. Gary's username in the thread below is Col_Pladoh, and his first post in this long thread is Post #39.
TSR Q&A with Gary Gygax
This is the multi-year Q&A sessions held by D&D co-creator Gary Gygax here at EN World, beginning in 2002 and running up until his sad pasing in 2008. Gary's username in the thread below is Col_Pladoh, and his first post in this long thread is Post #39.
ColonelHardisson
What? Me Worry?
I think the dwarf's (yeah, he was too big, but I guess they didn't have the money to squeeze him down like they did with John Rhys-Davies in LotR) performance was harmed by editing. I didn't think his mugging was too bad, and seemed appropriate. Of course, that may be just in comparison to the performances of Wayans and Irons.
I think that if it had been in production post-LotR, they would have recognized the value of the genre and the D&D imprint, and would have rewritten much of it. The dialogue, for example, is some of the worst I've heard in a professional production.
I think that if it had been in production post-LotR, they would have recognized the value of the genre and the D&D imprint, and would have rewritten much of it. The dialogue, for example, is some of the worst I've heard in a professional production.
Col_Pladoh
Gary Gygax
Colonel Suh!
I do believe you are being too generous
Heh,
Gary
I do believe you are being too generous
Heh,
Gary
Howdy!
It sounds like LA can emulate a progressive dungeon setting like in OAD&D, except that the levels would be much larger since it would takes longer to traverse them, allowing characters to gain power before heading lower.
AlLternativelly, the extra dimension of LA opens the possibility of gaining experience (power) outside the dungeon, between dungeon expeditions. In this view, the LM would spend as much time (or more) defining the world outside the dungeon for the Avatars to explore.
Please let me know if this is incorrect. If I am correct, then I think I do what I would like in a campaign in LA -- and probably more!
Thank!
Mike
Col_Pladoh said:
that's a difficult question to answer, for the beginning Avatar in the LA game is more like a 7th - 8th level PC in many ways. When placing weaker creatures in encounters, the Lejend Master needs to have plenty of them, and be careful to operate them in as clever a manner as possible considering their nature.
Increasing dangers aren't so difficult, as the creatures with higher Health and chance to hit, those doing a lot of extra Harm or with special attack forms are clearly ratable and tougher to defeat. Also. problems requiring the use of some not-too-common Ability, come into play, as to difficult problems and tricky situations.
One needs be careful, though, for Avatars take a long time to work up to potency greater that their corresponding level in AD&D terms. Regular play (40 + sessions) adds what amounts to about a level and a half per year, assuming the acquisition of some good Extraordinary Items (magic) along the way.
They system can manage Avatars of considerable potency, of course, and even veterans of six or more years can be properly challenged. Don't forget that the LA game does not center on combat, makes it a key element amongst several or many
Cheers,
Gary
It sounds like LA can emulate a progressive dungeon setting like in OAD&D, except that the levels would be much larger since it would takes longer to traverse them, allowing characters to gain power before heading lower.
AlLternativelly, the extra dimension of LA opens the possibility of gaining experience (power) outside the dungeon, between dungeon expeditions. In this view, the LM would spend as much time (or more) defining the world outside the dungeon for the Avatars to explore.
Please let me know if this is incorrect. If I am correct, then I think I do what I would like in a campaign in LA -- and probably more!
Thank!
Mike
Grishnak
First Post
I agree with you pretty much on all the points regarding the film, my only redeeming feature was the Beholder but that was down to the old EOTB games and really liking the Beholder kin!
I would love a company to make a film using 1 of David Gemmells books, He seems to get the background without going over the top with page after page of useless info.
Have you played 3e at all? Do you plan to play at all if you dont already? Or do you prefer past editions? Sorry if you've been asked this already haven't been able to read all the thread
Anyway thanks for the reply and I'm still a young lad of 24 so yes still a journeyman but still think of myself as more of a beginner again with 3e and 3.5e.
I would love a company to make a film using 1 of David Gemmells books, He seems to get the background without going over the top with page after page of useless info.
Have you played 3e at all? Do you plan to play at all if you dont already? Or do you prefer past editions? Sorry if you've been asked this already haven't been able to read all the thread
Anyway thanks for the reply and I'm still a young lad of 24 so yes still a journeyman but still think of myself as more of a beginner again with 3e and 3.5e.
Col_Pladoh
Gary Gygax
optimizer said:
Well, not necessarily. I have an "Olde Time Dungeopn Crawl" scenario amongst the adventures found in the HALL OF MANY PANES module. It is set up for experienced Avatars, mainly, say with at least a year of adventuring credits, but it can handle beginners or veteran Avatars with three or more years of play. the key is the judgement of the Lejend Master on adjusting the number of creatures or NACs encounterd, their Health and chance to hit and inflict Harm. Of course, I packed the normal-sised dungeon level quite full of interesting places, and made it difficult to move around and map, and it must be mapped in order to find the keys to escaping the place, cause the return pane portal to appear
Alternativelly, the extra dimension of LA opens the possibility of gaining experience (power) outside the dungeon, between dungeon expeditions. In this view, the LM would spend as much time (or more) defining the world outside the dungeon for the Avatars to explore.
Please let me know if this is incorrect. If I am correct, then I think I do what I would like in a campaign in LA -- and probably more!
Thank!
Mike
Your second assumption is correct. the LA game does offer, not to say demand, the LM to spend as much time developing adventures not set in dungeons, and the players' Avatars gain as much from such activity therein as they do from subterranean delving. Outside dungeons the focus can be on role-play, intregue, politics, or just about anything else including exploration and combat.
Cheers,
Gary
Col_Pladoh
Gary Gygax
Grishnak said:
The movie was such a stinker that most gamers I know have pretty much the same take on it. What is so infiriating is that it could have been a decent film that promoted D&D
Who can say? As the "Harry Potter" and LotR movies have raked in big bucks at the box office, fantasy films are not dead...only those relating to the D&D game...
Have you played 3e at all? Do you plan to play at all if you dont already? Or do you prefer past editions? Sorry if you've been asked this already haven't been able to read all the thread
Yes, I played for about 20 sessions in the test of Ernie and Luke Gygax's module THE LOST CITY OF GAXMOOR. I enjoyed the gaming but not the rules. As a matter of preference I play mainly own LA RPG system, my next favorite is OAD&D, and thereafter METAMORPHOSIS ALPHA. Being a gamer, if I have the time and opportunity I will typically play any game end enjoy it
Well, when you try Monty's ARCANA UNEARTHED, you can enjoy yet more apprenticeship then. Back in the good Old Days when I was a mere stripling of 24, all we had were chess, board wargames, and military miniatures--all stillgreat fun!
Cheers,
Gary
ColonelHardisson
What? Me Worry?
Col_Pladoh said:Colonel Suh!
I do believe you are being too generous
Heh,
Gary
Yeah, probably. I just figure that in the post-LotR era, a production like that wouldn't get very far without massive rewrites.
Col_Pladoh
Gary Gygax
ColonelHardisson said:
That and a massive increase in budget, plus maybe some recasting. Jeremy Irons playing Boris Karloff in his role didn't really cut it... After the first day of shooting that would need to be addressed by Irons getting into the role seriosuly or a new actor brought on board. The same applies generally to the other leading cast members
Cheers,
Gary
boschdevil
First Post
My issue is that I think many of the authors that wrote the original modules for D&D could write circles around many of the Hollywood script writers. So at times I wonder why they just don't take part of a module (like The Keep on the Borderlands, for example) and write a movie about that. I know it would have been a hell of a lot better than the tripe that they decided to plop onto the screen.
Heck, you could make an excellent movie on the encounters prior to the Caves of Chaos (imagine if they did a movie on the lizard men's mound, the bandit camp, the spider's web, and the Hermit (man, I love that hermit!)).
The only ones that probably made better stories (yes, to me to some degree the modules are stories) would be loremasters like Homer. (Sorry, to me they haven't met Homer's standard, but they're still pretty good). Then, I wouldn't mind it so bad if the movie tanks. Poeple outside the game could appreciate the modules that allowed us to gain a love for the game. I've owned Descent into the Depths of the Earth for 20 years, and I still like to open it and read it from time to time. But, to watch my favorite game get dragged down by movie trash like that D&D movie just drives me crazy.
Heck, you could make an excellent movie on the encounters prior to the Caves of Chaos (imagine if they did a movie on the lizard men's mound, the bandit camp, the spider's web, and the Hermit (man, I love that hermit!)).
The only ones that probably made better stories (yes, to me to some degree the modules are stories) would be loremasters like Homer. (Sorry, to me they haven't met Homer's standard, but they're still pretty good). Then, I wouldn't mind it so bad if the movie tanks. Poeple outside the game could appreciate the modules that allowed us to gain a love for the game. I've owned Descent into the Depths of the Earth for 20 years, and I still like to open it and read it from time to time. But, to watch my favorite game get dragged down by movie trash like that D&D movie just drives me crazy.
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