TSR Q&A with Gary Gygax

Particle_Man · Nov 23, 2003

This will sound really dumb, but it has been bugging me.

What is the historical/mythic/game balance/whatever reason that monks in 1st ed AD&D were forbidden to use burning oil? Was the oil too chaotic? What it just to accentuate the different nature of monks?

Just wondering...for the last 21 years...

Joe123 · Nov 23, 2003

Hello Gary,

How important is the ability of “winging” an adventure? Particularly, when players take actions the DM did not expect. Apparently, allowing players true freedom in determining their PC’s action provides them a better gaming experience. Is “railroading” something the DM should strive to avoid. If so, then to what extent should the DM give freedom to the players when they choose a course of action the DM may not have accounted for?

thanks,
Joe123.

Col_Pladoh · Nov 23, 2003

jokamachi said:
Hey Gary,

This is a bit off-topic, but do you have any thoeries about the Kennedy assassination?

Jokamachi

Not much in the way of a theory, only that I am convinced that more than one shooter was involved, and that likely Oswald wasn't the one who hit JFK.

Cheers,
Gary

Col_Pladoh · Nov 23, 2003

Particle_Man said:
This will sound really dumb, but it has been bugging me.

What is the historical/mythic/game balance/whatever reason that monks in 1st ed AD&D were forbidden to use burning oil? Was the oil too chaotic? What it just to accentuate the different nature of monks?

Just wondering...for the last 21 years...

Return with me now to those thrilling days of yesteryear...

That's what I have to do to try and remember why the proscription was placed on the class. As I recall, it was both deemed as too Chaotic and also to serve as a distinction, as all classes were restricted in one way or another in reagrds to weapons or poison. A monk hurling multiple pots of oil in a round just doesn't seem right somehow

Cheers,
Gary

ColonelHardisson · Nov 25, 2003

Hiya Gary! I have a question that I'm sure has been asked before, but I figured I'd ask again.

In your original vision for Greyhawk, did gunpowder work? If you had projected ahead in Greyhawk's history, and worked on a campaign along the lines of something like the "Greyhawk 2000" article from Dragon a couple years back, would gunpowder be readily manufactured? Is there anything that would prevent gunpowder from being made, or if it was made, anything that would keep it from being combustible, at least combustible enough to prevent its use in firearms?

Bregh · Nov 25, 2003

Didn't Don Kaye's PC Murlynd pack (and use) a pair of six-shooters?

Related to Col. H's question, then, how did Murlynd come by 'em (or, perhaps, how did he come to be in GH)?

ColonelHardisson · Nov 25, 2003

Bregh said:
Didn't Don Kaye's PC Murlynd pack (and use) a pair of six-shooters?

Related to Col. H's question, then, how did Murlynd come by 'em (or, perhaps, how did he come to be in GH)?

As I recall, there was some mention about how the guns only worked for Murlynd. So the question remains.

Col_Pladoh · Nov 25, 2003

ColonelHardisson said:
Hiya Gary! I have a question that I'm sure has been asked before, but I figured I'd ask again.

In your original vision for Greyhawk, did gunpowder work? If you had projected ahead in Greyhawk's history, and worked on a campaign along the lines of something like the "Greyhawk 2000" article from Dragon a couple years back, would gunpowder be readily manufactured? Is there anything that would prevent gunpowder from being made, or if it was made, anything that would keep it from being combustible, at least combustible enough to prevent its use in firearms?

Well Suh!

I do not believe that magic and gunpowder technology mix well. It can be done, as Stanly Weinbaum proved in his post-catyclysm fantasy novel...the title of which escapes me at the moment. There was a spell that sset off gunpowder and like explosives at a considerable distance. Having gunbpowder weapons really moves the game from the fantasy genre to some other, wierd or science fantasy. Which brings me to the short answer:

No, I didn't have working gunpowder nor did I contemplate having gunpowder weapons in the campaign.

See my next reply for the answer to a seeming anomaly in my response

Cheers,
Gary

Col_Pladoh · Nov 25, 2003

Bregh said:
Didn't Don Kaye's PC Murlynd pack (and use) a pair of six-shooters?

Related to Col. H's question, then, how did Murlynd come by 'em (or, perhaps, how did he come to be in GH)?

Howdy!

The strange wands that Murlynd used made a loud noise and delivered a damaging missile, but neither effect was due to gunpowder. These were very rare magic items devised by Murlynds arcane understanding of technology and how to make it function magically

The LA game has an Extraordinary Item known as Kaydon's Thunderous Bolters, each weapon having six charges that renew after a relatvely long period of time. They are not gunpowder weapons, and exactly one pair exist in my campaign after sever years of play involving about 20 different players.

Cheers,
Gary

ColonelHardisson · Nov 25, 2003

Thanks for the quick response, Gary! It's most appreciated. Another question: just for the sake of discussion, let's say you had wanted to have gunpowder exist in a modern/future Greyhawk setting. Do you have any thoughts on how it's existence would have come about, such as who might've invented/manufatured it?

Another question, which I know has been addressed to some extent:

I know Vecna wasn't your creation (I forget whose it was). Did you ever use the character as anything but the backstory for the Hand and Eye? That is, did he ever make a "personal appearance" at some point? I never thought much of the way Vecna was made a god by those who worked on Greyhawk after you left. Had you ever contemplated making him a god? Or was he always to remain a campaign "boogie man"? My own thoughts were to bring him back along the lines of the ancient Acheron wizard in R.E. Howard's "Hour of the Dragon" (if I am remembering correctly), and have him come looking to collect him missing appendages. Any thoughts?

And, did you ever have any plans for Iuz's future?

TSR Q&A with Gary Gygax

Particle_Man

Explorer

Joe123

First Post

Col_Pladoh

Gary Gygax

Col_Pladoh

Gary Gygax

ColonelHardisson

What? Me Worry?

Bregh

Explorer

ColonelHardisson

What? Me Worry?

Col_Pladoh

Gary Gygax

Col_Pladoh

Gary Gygax

ColonelHardisson

What? Me Worry?

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