TSR Q&A with Gary Gygax

Gray Mouser · Mar 13, 2004

Col_Pladoh said:
Hi JRT!

Not much of a plot point, actually, more a detail of how wretched Gord's life was as a foundling. Knowing how he got his name doesn't reveal the plot of the City of Hawks story

Ciao,
Gary

Ahh, just another reason for me to complete my set of the books, however. I knew there had to be a reason just couldn't think of what it was.

I'll have to peruse amazon.com and see what I can scare up.

Thanks again!

Gray Mouser

Sir Elton · Mar 17, 2004

Gary,

I wondering about the nation of Khemet for Necropolis, or a D&D game on Egypt in general. All three kingdoms seems like a good setting for Adventure, but which Kingdom: New, Middle, or Old, would you prefer adventuring in?

ScottGLXIX · Mar 17, 2004

Hey Gary. A debate on the rate of fire of missile weapons during surpise has recently come up on several message boards I frequent.
The rule as written states that missile fire is 3 times the normal rate. This equates to 6 arrows, or 9 darts in a single segment.
I've always believed that the original intent of the rule got diluted somewhere between author and editor (similar to falling damage) and that the rate of fire should be a standard 3 per segment, but certain weapons, like a heavy crossbow, require special consideration, and must be handled on a case by case basis.
Scott

Gray Mouser · Mar 18, 2004

Colonel,

I recently had the opportunity to get all the OD&D books in pdf format! (Yee-ha!, btw. That really takes me back!). In these books I noticed that you use the Lawful-Neutral-Chaotic alignment system. I've heard from other people that when you first began designing AD&D (circa the MM) there were only 5 alignments (LG, CG, N, GE and LE) and that the other 4 were added in when you began working on the PHB.

When did you move from the L-N-C alignments to adding the Good/Eveil component? And when did it become the full-blown 9 alignment system that was the end result?

Thanks!

Gray Mouser

ErichDragon · Mar 22, 2004

Gary,

I wanted to let you know that I ran "The Keep on the Borderlands" this weekend for some visiting friends and it was every bit as enjoyable for us in our 30's as it was when we were 12.

I am sure this is an obscure question, but there are three small letter 'g's marked on the Caves of Chaos map. One, in the orc cave is a guard post, but I can't find any reference for the other two. I had never noticed it in 20 years of owning/running that module until this weekend, strange.

Thanks for the great hobby.

Col_Pladoh · Mar 22, 2004

ErichDragon said:
Gary,

I wanted to let you know that I ran "The Keep on the Borderlands" this weekend for some visiting friends and it was every bit as enjoyable for us in our 30's as it was when we were 12.

I am sure this is an obscure question, but there are three small letter 'g's marked on the Caves of Chaos map. One, in the orc cave is a guard post, but I can't find any reference for the other two. I had never noticed it in 20 years of owning/running that module until this weekend, strange.

Thanks for the great hobby.

Hail!

Thanks for passing that along. When I wrote B2 i aimed at providing an exciting scenario for as wide a range of DMs and players as I possibly could. That you and your friends enjoyed it as much after 20 odd years time between adventuring in the module means that the mark I aimed at was hit well.

As for the lower case g's on the map, my recollection was that all three indicated guard posts. I do not have the module before me, so I could be in error...but I don't think so

Cheers,
Gary

LordHavok · Mar 22, 2004

Hi Gary,
I skimmed through the questions and I hope this hasn't been asked before, but I was wondering. In all your years gaming, (please don't take that wrong..

) have you ever had a session where the people playing got really angry or even argumentative, either with you or each other? And if so how was it handled, what happened afterwards, etc. I'm curious because it's happened in a game I played in before.

Col_Pladoh · Mar 22, 2004

LordHavok said:
Hi Gary,
I skimmed through the questions and I hope this hasn't been asked before, but I was wondering. In all your years gaming, (please don't take that wrong.. ) have you ever had a session where the people playing got really angry or even argumentative, either with you or each other? And if so how was it handled, what happened afterwards, etc. I'm curious because it's happened in a game I played in before.

Salut LordHavok,

That hasn't occurred in any RPG I have GMed. Not that some players might not have felt like angrily disputing with me, but I have a certain force of presence and am an authority figure, so...

I have played in a group that grew angry with the GM, also where some players grew annoyed with others of the group. No mayhem broke out in any of those cases, but some players were so disgusted with events that theyquit the game. I was personally irritated by some young players having their PCs doing foolish things during a dungeon crawl, and I silently debated whether or not my own character should fry the lot with a lightning bolt. but I bit the bullet and was a good sport.

Rules arguments were fairly common when playing military miniatures and even board wargames. Been in many a dispute with the referee in a minis game or with an opponent in a boradgame. A good group or opponent will be calm and rational, so that the point of contention can be settled in relatively short order, where necessary a house rule established, and play continue.

Cheers,
Gary

LordHavok · Mar 22, 2004

Greetings and Salutations Gary,

Yeah I have gotten annoyed a time or two myself, but I actually was in a session one time where two of the DM's stepbrothers got into a physical altercation over one character pick pocketing the other. Push came to shove, curse to curse, finally the DM reached over and took both guys sheets and proceeded to ripping them up. As he did he said "Okay a fly craps on both of your characters heads and does 10,000 hp damage" as for you two, you can't play anymore.

I thought I'd never stop laughing.

Col_Pladoh · Mar 22, 2004

LordHavok said:
Greetings and Salutations Gary,

Yeah I have gotten annoyed a time or two myself, but I actually was in a session one time where two of the DM's stepbrothers got into a physical altercation over one character pick pocketing the other. Push came to shove, curse to curse, finally the DM reached over and took both guys sheets and proceeded to ripping them up. As he did he said "Okay a fly craps on both of your characters heads and does 10,000 hp damage" as for you two, you can't play anymore.

I thought I'd never stop laughing.

Two brothers playing Chainmail miniatures back around 1972 that got into an argument like that. They ended up whacking each other with the dowels we used for measuring cannon fire. Their dispute took them out of the basement where we had the sand table set up, so we simply told them later that both were banned from gaming with the group for two weeks. They argued with each other thereafter but never came to blows again.

Cheers,
Gary

TSR Q&A with Gary Gygax

Gray Mouser

First Post

Sir Elton

First Post

ScottGLXIX

First Post

Gray Mouser

First Post

ErichDragon

First Post

Col_Pladoh

Gary Gygax

LordHavok

First Post

Col_Pladoh

Gary Gygax

LordHavok

First Post

Col_Pladoh

Gary Gygax

Similar Threads

Related Articles

Latest threads

AD6_gamerati_skyscraper

Recent & Upcoming Releases