TSR Q&A with Gary Gygax

Rakin · Aug 31, 2005

I have to admit that I've never been to a gaming convention and would sorely like to try one out. I tried a little searching on my own but came up empty handed or not sure about the ones I was looking at. Can someone point me in the right direction for a great one around the Hampton Roads VA area or at least let me know the best way to find one. Thanks.

ColonelHardisson · Aug 31, 2005

Gary, I just want to say that the more I read Hall of Many Panes, the more I like it. It really harkens back to your earlier work for AD&D. I'm specifically thinking of the EX "Dungeonland" modules, and the various planar gates found in the Demonweb Pits.

By the way, you mentioned a "cheat sheet" for HoMP; how might one go about getting that item?

Also, I'm looking forward to Yggsburg very, very much.

BOZ · Aug 31, 2005

Rakin said:
I have to admit that I've never been to a gaming convention and would sorely like to try one out. I tried a little searching on my own but came up empty handed or not sure about the ones I was looking at. Can someone point me in the right direction for a great one around the Hampton Roads VA area or at least let me know the best way to find one. Thanks.

if you get a chance, try GenCon next year.

a lot of us folks from ENWorld have been fostering a nice little "real life community" there based on those we already know from the forums.

it's a great experience, and it has been getting bigger and more organized every year!

haakon1 · Aug 31, 2005

BOZ said:
try GenCon next year

Gary, will you go to Gen Con again, or is the Lake Geneva thingy in the summers the place to meet you?

Rakin · Aug 31, 2005

BOZ said:
if you get a chance, try GenCon next year. a lot of us folks from ENWorld have been fostering a nice little "real life community" there based on those we already know from the forums. it's a great experience, and it has been getting bigger and more organized every year!

Thanks for the tip, I'll look into it.

Anson Caralya · Aug 31, 2005

Gary,

You've been so gracious about answering my many questions regarding events and products of 20 - 30 years ago that I can't help asking another. I read S4/Tsojcanth yesterday cover-to-cover for old time's sake and was amazed at the high quality throughout. I DM'ed it twice in my youth, but I know I didn't do it justice back then. There are many places that invite expansion -- the underwater cavern level, the Craggy Dells, the tunnels of the pech and umber hulk, the worlds of the canyon of centaurs and hall of pentacles -- and some of the monsters included in booklet 2 would seem appropriate for these expansions (e.g. scrag and crystal ooze for the underwater level, derro in a cavern complex). The demon lords and demi-lich, however, seem out-of-proportion with the difficulty level of the overall adventure. I had thought them included simply for background, but yesterday I noticed this passage in the introduction to the New Monsters section: "Some of them are so powerful that the module would be unbalanced if they were used against a normal party." Is that meant to imply that an expert party should be able to handle them? I know the adventure was originally for tournament play ("Tsojconth") and wondered if any of these "big guns" were included there. I can imagine limited interaction, similar to that described for Fraz-Urb-luu in Greyhawk Castle (the southern comfort encounter you described a few pages back on this thread), where the party, if not careful, can release these beings and meet a swift end, but with caution can survive or maybe even benefit from the encounter. I don't see them as reasonable opponents if unfettered, so assumed their inclusion would hinge on... fettering? If so, can you share any details?

Thanks again!

Col_Pladoh · Aug 31, 2005

ColonelHardisson said:
Gary, I just want to say that the more I read Hall of Many Panes, the more I like it. It really harkens back to your earlier work for AD&D. I'm specifically thinking of the EX "Dungeonland" modules, and the various planar gates found in the Demonweb Pits.

By the way, you mentioned a "cheat sheet" for HoMP; how might one go about getting that item?

Also, I'm looking forward to Yggsburg very, very much.

Thanks Colonel

Glad you are enjoying the HoMP. The Trolls were going to put up the "Cheat Sheet" as a free download on their website until a reprint of the module was sone with the material in the box. they seem to have forgotten, so email me, and I'll send you my file on same.

ggygax@genevaonline.com

Cheers,
Gary

Col_Pladoh · Aug 31, 2005

haakon1 said:
Gary, will you go to Gen Con again, or is the Lake Geneva thingy in the summers the place to meet you?

Howdy!

There is only a slight chance I'll make GenCon 2006.

It is a sure thing that I'll be at (both of) the Lake Geneva Gaming Convention(s) next year. If you come, make it on Thursday and drop by the pre-con porch party at my place :lol:

Cheers,
Gary

Col_Pladoh · Aug 31, 2005

Anson Caralya said:
Gary,

...The demon lords and demi-lich, however, seem out-of-proportion with the difficulty level of the overall adventure. ...
Thanks again!

Hi Anson!

When at the Expo in Toronto I signed several 'Tsojcanth modules even as their owners told me how much they enjoyed that adventure. It was indeed designed to facilitate expansion by the DM so desiring--as was D3, Vault of the Drow

The high-level monsters were included in case similarly tough PCs were allowed to explore the place. the DM was given free rein as to how to present such adversaries, for I could not know just how strong the PC party would be.

We never did have any characters above c. 12th level adventure in the caverns, so they met no demon lords.

If that doesn't cover it, fire back

Cheers,
Gary

Anson Caralya · Aug 31, 2005

If that doesn't cover it, fire back

Thanks Gary, that does cover it quite well! I'm thinking of taking a stroll through WG4/Forgotten Temple next, as S4 was such a rewarding read. IIRC, my players never entered the lower temple or dungeons, instead returning to the Caverns.

If we ever meet, I'll be sure to have my well-used copy of S4 and a pen! And here's to a speedy recovery from your leg troubles!

TSR Q&A with Gary Gygax

Rakin

First Post

ColonelHardisson

What? Me Worry?

BOZ

Creature Cataloguer

haakon1

Hero

Rakin

First Post

Anson Caralya

First Post

Col_Pladoh

Gary Gygax

Col_Pladoh

Gary Gygax

Col_Pladoh

Gary Gygax

Anson Caralya

First Post

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