TSR Q&A with Gary Gygax

Col_Pladoh · Feb 2, 2004

ScottGLXIX said:
Gary, I have a question about orc tribes in your campaign. Were the orcs encountered in the Greyhawk dungeon supposed to be part of one or more of the orc tribes listed in the original MM? As the published version of the Greyhawk setting was detailed the Vile Rune and Death Moon tribes were placed in the Bone March, and the Rotting Eye tribe was set in the Yatils, but I've always wondered about the orcs in and around the Greyhawk dungeons.
Scott

They orcs in the dungeon were of two separate tribes, but I have forgotten the names I gave them. As near as I can recollect, one was the Grinning Skull and the other was the Bloody Axe. they were all cut down or made into vassals by Robilar and Terik, with a good deal of assistance from Tenser.

Cheers,
Gary

MerricB · Feb 2, 2004

G'day, Gary!

A couple of questions:

In Unearthed Arcana, the demi-human level limits were revised, allowing higher levels for exceptional stats and the like. I was wondering if that was one of your contributions to the book or if it was done by someone else?

Did you enjoy the third of the Lord of the Rings films?

I'm getting all impatient now for the release of the Hall of Many Panes... I'm very much looking forward to it.

Cheers and (belated) best wishes for the New Year!

Gray Mouser · Feb 3, 2004

Hi Gary,

I was recently rereading your old Gord the Rogue short story in DRagon #100, "At Moonset Blackcat Comes." In the story you have Gord and Rexfelis playing "Dragon Chess" and there are rules for the game directly following the story. I'm wondering of you actually played the game to any extent (I imagine you'd have to have played it a little in order to actually right up the rules!). Was it an enjoyable game? I always thought about constructing a 3-level board and giving it a go but never got around to it (a shame, that).

I myself enjoy the occasional game of chess, but don't get to play much any more. Some of my fondest memories are playing a friend of mine to several stalemates in a row (he would go to chess tournaments on occasion so I viewed this as an accomplishment - besides, he HATED that he couldn't beat me! ;-).

Thanks,

Gray Mouser

Dogbrain · Feb 3, 2004

I was thumbing through my base Greyhawk material (the original--the folio folder) and started to wonder: Whatever happened to "long ago and far away" as the basic tone of roleplaying setting publications? That was something that I liked about the older Greyhawk stuff. All the "official" material was presented as a history of a very distant past. I like that.

These days, nearly everything has this "here and now and here are all the details in excruciating detail" approach. I liked the more "incomplete because it's distant history" approach.

Dogbrain · Feb 3, 2004

Gray Mouser said:
Hi Gary,

I was recently rereading your old Gord the Rogue short story in DRagon #100, "At Moonset Blackcat Comes." In the story you have Gord and Rexfelis playing "Dragon Chess" and there are rules for the game directly following the story. I'm wondering of you actually played the game to any extent (I imagine you'd have to have played it a little in order to actually right up the rules!). Was it an enjoyable game?

Yes, it is, speaking as someone who has played it.

http://www.chessvariants.com/3d.dir/dragonchess.html just in case folks weren't aware of this site.

Col_Pladoh · Feb 4, 2004

MerricB said:
G'day, Gary!

A couple of questions:

In Unearthed Arcana, the demi-human level limits were revised, allowing higher levels for exceptional stats and the like. I was wondering if that was one of your contributions to the book or if it was done by someone else?

Almost all of the material in the UA book was mine, picked up from articles I wrote in Dragon magazine. Asto the increase in types of demi-humans and their level limits, yes. That was of my doing. As human PCs were getting to higher levels then it seemed a good idea to allow for more potent non-human characters, while at the same time maintaining the human race as predominant.

Did you enjoy the third of the Lord of the Rings films?

Sadly for me I have not been feeling well all winter thanks to the flu, so I have yet to see the film. Looks as if I am going to have to wait for the release of RotK on DVD.

I'm getting all impatient now for the release of the Hall of Many Panes... I'm very much looking forward to it.

Cheers and (belated) best wishes for the New Year!

You and me both! It now seems likely that the HOMP will not be released until near the end of the year. I just finished my editorial check of the 500 + pp. ms. and sent the file back to the Trolls. Layout and interior maps art acquisition are now ready to progress.

Ciao,
Gary

Col_Pladoh · Feb 4, 2004

Gray Mouser said:
Hi Gary,

I was recently rereading your old Gord the Rogue short story in DRagon #100, "At Moonset Blackcat Comes." In the story you have Gord and Rexfelis playing "Dragon Chess" and there are rules for the game directly following the story. I'm wondering of you actually played the game to any extent (I imagine you'd have to have played it a little in order to actually right up the rules!). Was it an enjoyable game? I always thought about constructing a 3-level board and giving it a go but never got around to it (a shame, that).

I myself enjoy the occasional game of chess, but don't get to play much any more. Some of my fondest memories are playing a friend of mine to several stalemates in a row (he would go to chess tournaments on occasion so I viewed this as an accomplishment - besides, he HATED that he couldn't beat me! ;-).

Thanks,

Gray Mouser

Howdy Gray Mouser!

Yes, I played the Dragon Chess game--by myself. It came out quite well despite that, and it is a recognized variant on the http://www.chessvariants.com/ website. Go there and have a look. Some of the fellows there have made a few suggested changes

I too love chess games, seldom have opportuity to play. Amongst my favorites are shogi, double chess, and a revised courier game where there is on the king's side of the board a piece combining the powers of the K and N, so as to have a real attack threat there.

Cheers,
Gary

Col_Pladoh · Feb 4, 2004

Dogbrain said:
I was thumbing through my base Greyhawk material (the original--the folio folder) and started to wonder: Whatever happened to "long ago and far away" as the basic tone of roleplaying setting publications? That was something that I liked about the older Greyhawk stuff. All the "official" material was presented as a history of a very distant past. I like that.

These days, nearly everything has this "here and now and here are all the details in excruciating detail" approach. I liked the more "incomplete because it's distant history" approach.

Hello Dogbrain

You are preaching to the choir in regards to keeping quantification to the bare minimum needed to present an interesting and exciting experience. My reason is because I think that approach allows and encourages participant imagination and creative addition, those exercises making the material more personal to the participating group. That said, sometimes the "bare minimum" is rather highly detailed.

Cheers,
Gary

Calico_Jack73 · Feb 4, 2004

Col_Pladoh said:
Somehow having good Oriental-model dragons relate to metals such as irridium, tin, and zinc, lead, or iron for that matter, just didn't cut it

Cheers,
Gary

Hmmmm... Now you've got me thinking about making up some other dragons using other elements from the Periodic Table.

Einsteinium = Incredibly wise dragon with wild white fur all over it. Breath Weapon is a cloud of carcinoginic gas smelling of pipe weed.

Uranium = Everywhere this incredibly dumb (dense) dragon goes people begin losing their hair and falling fatally sick. Breath weapon would be an incredibly intense burst of light and heat that disintigrates adventurers and burns their shadow into whatever substance is behind them.

Sorry Gary, I just couldn't resist!

Calico_Jack73 · Feb 4, 2004

Col_Pladoh said:
The Cavalier class was aimed at depicting a knightly warrior of most able sort...and they were very tough indeed.

It is interesting that you said that. I've seen several discussions where people consider the Paladin class "Unplayable" because of the restrictions of code and alignment. The most common belief is that the Paladin is supposed to represent the "Knightly Ideal" but I never bought into that because that was the role of the Cavalier. I believe most people came to that conclusion because of the "Paladin in Hell" picture in the 1E PHB. My view is that the Paladin is a divine champion. A Paladin could have been some farmboy that a diety chose as his champion due to the farmboy's purity of heart. In that case the farmboy paladin wouldn't have been raised to follow the knight's code but would follow his own moral code of right and wrong. One of the biggest arguements is that Paladins can't lie as that would violate his code. However, if a Paladin can champion the cause of good and defeat evil through a lie I think it would be unreasonable to think that the Paladin wouldn't take that opportunity. I'd like your view on the Paladin class and the features that make is supposedly "Unplayable".

Thank you so much for your input Gary.

TSR Q&A with Gary Gygax

Col_Pladoh

Gary Gygax

MerricB

Eternal Optimist

Gray Mouser

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Dogbrain

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Dogbrain

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Col_Pladoh

Gary Gygax

Col_Pladoh

Gary Gygax

Col_Pladoh

Gary Gygax

Calico_Jack73

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Calico_Jack73

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