TSR Q&A with Gary Gygax

eyebeams said:

Thank you. Are these checks on 1d20? 3d6?

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D20 so as to have a level prbability curve

I'm thinking I might use a mix of your idea and the AD&D system. Maybe I'll give each character one "trade." Tasks where that trade applies are made with a 4d6 (roll under) check. If the character doesn't have the trade, it's 5d6 or impossible. Maybe at a high enough level you can choose a second trade or to jump to "Master" level, rolling on 3d6.

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You might want to check out Castle Zagyg, Yggsburgh, when it's released. I have a skills system in there to make things more interesting for character class individuals, both PCs and NPCs. It is very general and without a lot of rules and cases, more guidlines for the Gm than anything else.

I'm also interested in the idea of using hit dice for checks (kind of like you did when you talked about orcs grappling a PC). I wonder what else I could apply that to? Lots of good ideas there.

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Most applicable to conflict situation resolution, I should think...

Oh, one more question: The original rules talked about games using up to 20 players -- not a common thing these days! With that in mind, I can see why folks had treasure division agreements, callers and such. Did you run many games of this size? What was it like?

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For about six months the typical number of players in an adventure session in my basement was 18-22 persons packed in. That was when I asked Rob Kuntz to serve as my co-DM. Getting marching order was very important. Of course most activity was dungeon crawling, so actions were just done in order around the table. Be ready or lose your chance! Stick with the party or else something very nasty is likely to befall your character away from the group. The sessions were fun but somewhat chaotic, lacked most roleplay, and surely didn't allow for a lot of one-on-one time player and DM.

I DMed a con tournament with 100 entrants, and i managed 20 in each group. I took time to check individual actions there, as it was an outdoor adventure. Each session ran four hours, and a bit. I was surely tired when that was concluded, but to the best of my knowledge all the participants had a good time of it, even those on the teams that didn't finish in the top spot.

Cheers,
Gary

Gray Mouser said:

As much as JRRT Actually more. There's one episode in The Swords of Lankhmar where Fafhrd and the Gray Mouser encounter a German-speaking dimensional traveller who's collecting multi-headed sea-dragons. IIRC, the German uses a sort of spaceship to travel between worlds.

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Apart from that particular treatment od Sci-Fi in a sword and sorcery yarn, he also did write some straight up sci-fi. Check out this site: http://www.lankhmar.demon.co.uk/

nerfherder said:

Hehe!

Since I have no hat, I'll be sure to tug my forelock instead.

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LOL!

Be careful there or someone might think you are serious, or worse, that I am

I didn't know that about John Wyndham, but a quick bit of research revealed to me that his name was John Wyndham Parkes Lucas Beynon Harris. I just remember as a youngster reading and loving Chocky, the Midwich Cuckoos, Trouble with Lichen, and The Day of the Triffids.

Cheers,
Liam

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I was aabout 15 when I read Day of the Triffids, and I got so caught up in the tale that it was difficult for me to remember it was just a story.

Cheers,
Gary

Gray Mouser said:

...

BTW, anyone know if Vance is still kicking about? I think he was born in 1916 (or there abouts) but I'd like to know if I should keep hope alive for further adventures of Cugel, Rhialto and company.

Gray Mouser

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Vance's SF is great too, and I am hopeful that he will still manage to get out a novel slated for release a couple of years back. As far as I know Jack is, thankfully, still with us, but his eyesight is virtually gone

Regards,
Gary

francisca said:

Apart from that particular treatment od Sci-Fi in a sword and sorcery yarn, he also did write some straight up sci-fi. Check out this site: http://www.lankhmar.demon.co.uk/

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Well...

I didn't note his yarn, You're All Alone on any of those lists. I did see one of my favorites though, Conjure Wife. That one was as believable to me as a teenager as was The Power, the story about psychic powers, whose author I have forgotton as someone swiped my copy of the book. they did a movie based on the novel, but it was not a good production.

Cheers,
Gary

D20 so as to have a level prbability curve

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I see. A d20-roll version of my idea, then, would be a lot like what I've heard about C&C. maybe:

Unskilled: -6 to the effective attribute
Journeyman: -3 to the affected attribute
Master: No penalty.

Actually, -4 and -8 might be better, but maybe a bit hard for heroic characters . . .

Perhaps, then we give starting characters one trade skill (just like in AD&D) and add either Master status or a new trade at, say, 4th, 7th and 10th level (I'd keep this low level). I like the fact that a Name level character might be a master of the trade of his or her youth and one learned later during adventuring, or four different, lightly known fields.

If we fold seneschal/marshal skills and sage fields into it, it covers a nice group of abilities that still don't detract from the role of character classes. Come to think of it, this is a nice way of adjudicating sages as M-Us whose "trades" are all sage fields.

You might want to check out Castle Zagyg, Yggsburgh, when it's released. I have a skills system in there to make things more interesting for character class individuals, both PCs and NPCs. It is very general and without a lot of rules and cases, more guidlines for the Gm than anything else.

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I might just do that . . .

I'm also interested in the idea of using hit dice for checks (kind of like you did when you talked about orcs grappling a PC). I wonder what else I could apply that to? Lots of good ideas there.

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Most applicable to conflict situation resolution, I should think...

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Indeed! A straight case of the highest roll is good for multiple grapplers and such. I'm also thinking that it might be a good contest to roll for unarmed striking as well. Perhaps we can then ever let unarmed attacks do normal damage since they have this extra burden -- though the damage roll might only be 1d3 or 1d4.

Example: A 1st level fighter punches a 1HD orc. They roll their opposed hit dice, so there's a fairly even chance that the blows delivered this round will be ineffective. Against a 4 HD orge, it's almost impossible -- the shots just bouce off its blubbery hide!

A Hero's unarmed shots have a 50/50 chance against the ogre, but at 4th level this warrior can reliably thrash goblins with his bare hands. And of course, punching or kicking a dragon is out of the question.

Of course, a monk doesn't have this burden; his attacks work like normal weapons. Might have to power him down a bit, though.

It strikes me as a nice alternate system for turning undead, too.

Thanks for the inspiration, Gary!

Gary,

No questions, only a belated thanks and the hope that you're feeling better. We're praying for you.

Also, I don't know whether Noah has kept you updated, but the Fuzzy Knights have returned -- http://www.kenzerco.com/periodicals/fuzzyknights/fkonline050204.php

eyebeams said:

I see. A d20-roll version of my idea, then, would be a lot like what I've heard about C&C. maybe:

Unskilled: -6 to the effective attribute
Journeyman: -3 to the affected attribute
Master: No penalty.

Actually, -4 and -8 might be better, but maybe a bit hard for heroic characters . . .

Perhaps, then we give starting characters one trade skill (just like in AD&D) and add either Master status or a new trade at, say, 4th, 7th and 10th level (I'd keep this low level). I like the fact that a Name level character might be a master of the trade of his or her youth and one learned later during adventuring, or four different, lightly known fields.

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Why not have the PCs have to expend some XPs to move up in their skill just as they need them for class level?

...

Thanks for the inspiration, Gary!

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Sharing the enjoyment of the creative muse

Cheers,
Gary

dcas said:

Gary,

No questions, only a belated thanks and the hope that you're feeling better. We're praying for you.

Also, I don't know whether Noah has kept you updated, but the Fuzzy Knights have returned -- http://www.kenzerco.com/periodicals/fuzzyknights/fkonline050204.php

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My thanks, and keep 'em coming, as I am positive prayer helps.

Ciao,
Gary

Thanks for the answers, Gary. It's a pleasure to be able to learn from the master.

Col_Pladoh said:

RFisher said:

When a cleric becomes a Curate, he only gets to add 1 hp to his current total rather than a full HD? (Or +2 if Con is >14?)

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No, we always played one HD addition per level of character.

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For MUs too? A 5th level Fighting-man, 5th level Cleric, & 5th level MU would all have 5d6 hp? (not counting adjustments due to Con)