This is the multi-year Q&A sessions held by D&D co-creator Gary Gygax here at EN World, beginning in 2002 and running up until his sad pasing in 2008. Gary's username in the thread below is Col_Pladoh, and his first post in this long thread is Post #39.
TSR Q&A with Gary Gygax
This is the multi-year Q&A sessions held by D&D co-creator Gary Gygax here at EN World, beginning in 2002 and running up until his sad pasing in 2008. Gary's username in the thread below is Col_Pladoh, and his first post in this long thread is Post #39.
Col_Pladoh
Gary Gygax
Perfect!Henry said:*opens wallet, moth flies out*
Capital One would view you as a likely customer. I must see to soliciting an ad from them
Cheers,
Gary
JoeGKushner
First Post
Col_Pladoh said:Hey!
I just realized that this thread likely has greater readership that the local paper here in Lake Geneva does. Maybe I can sell adveritsements after my sig...
Cheers,
Gary
You joke but who would have thought that we'd have advertisements in the bathroom on the men's hand dryer twenty years ago?
Col_Pladoh
Gary Gygax
Sad but true...JoeGKushner said:
Cheers,
Gary
Edena_of_Neith
First Post
(loved those Capital One commercials ...)
Gary, since you gave the answer you did above, I wish to ask three questions I would not have otherwise asked.
We know of the Prismatic Spells: Prismatic Spray (7th), Prismatic Wall (8th), and Prismatic Sphere (9th.)
In Dragon Magazine, they introduced Jaran's Prismatic Sword. It was 9th level. I disagreed with that assessment, thinking it should have been higher. What would it have been in your game?
And (rather obviously) Prismatic Plate Armor (or, just plain Prismatic Armor) comes to mind.
What level would it be?
If there is Prismatic Sword, perhaps there is Prismatic Bow (and Arrows) or Prismatic Bolts (1 bolt per level!) What level would this spell be?
Incidentally, in 2nd Edition they created spells of 10th, 11th, and 12th level. But the increase in spell power was not linear. It was exponential.
In the case of the above questions, I am assuming (hopefully correctly) you go by a linear approach, so no analogy to the 2nd edition spells is drawn here.
Gary, since you gave the answer you did above, I wish to ask three questions I would not have otherwise asked.
We know of the Prismatic Spells: Prismatic Spray (7th), Prismatic Wall (8th), and Prismatic Sphere (9th.)
In Dragon Magazine, they introduced Jaran's Prismatic Sword. It was 9th level. I disagreed with that assessment, thinking it should have been higher. What would it have been in your game?
And (rather obviously) Prismatic Plate Armor (or, just plain Prismatic Armor) comes to mind.
What level would it be?
If there is Prismatic Sword, perhaps there is Prismatic Bow (and Arrows) or Prismatic Bolts (1 bolt per level!) What level would this spell be?
Incidentally, in 2nd Edition they created spells of 10th, 11th, and 12th level. But the increase in spell power was not linear. It was exponential.
In the case of the above questions, I am assuming (hopefully correctly) you go by a linear approach, so no analogy to the 2nd edition spells is drawn here.
Col_Pladoh
Gary Gygax
Those are tough questions for which I have no ready answer.Edena_of_Neith said:(loved those Capital One commercials ...)
Gary, since you gave the answer you did above, I wish to ask three questions I would not have otherwise asked.
We know of the Prismatic Spells: Prismatic Spray (7th), Prismatic Wall (8th), and Prismatic Sphere (9th.)
In Dragon Magazine, they introduced Jaran's Prismatic Sword. It was 9th level. I disagreed with that assessment, thinking it should have been higher. What would it have been in your game?
And (rather obviously) Prismatic Plate Armor (or, just plain Prismatic Armor) comes to mind.
What level would it be?
If there is Prismatic Sword, perhaps there is Prismatic Bow (and Arrows) or Prismatic Bolts (1 bolt per level!) What level would this spell be?
Incidentally, in 2nd Edition they created spells of 10th, 11th, and 12th level. But the increase in spell power was not linear. It was exponential.
In the case of the above questions, I am assuming (hopefully correctly) you go by a linear approach, so no analogy to the 2nd edition spells is drawn here.
I don't recall the Prismatic Sword and its powers, so I can say only that and non-mage-use item involving the prosmatic magical effects would be quite extraordinary and difficult to forge, as the basis is Illusion coupled with the Plane of Radiance and Light.
While I do go with a linear progression, I don't think that would apply to prismatically charged items. If they could be made at all, I believe that those of considerabole power would be akin to artifacts in reagrds their level.
Of course I am not actually setting about the description of any such items, just offering suggestions off the cuff
Cheers,
Gary
Edena_of_Neith
First Post
Jaran's Prismatic Sword (or Blade, not sure which at the moment) created a sword that only the mage could wield. It automatically inflicted all the damage of a Prismatic Sphere if it hit (10 damage + 20 + 40 + save versus death, spell, wand, breath weapon), each and every time it hit. It lasted 1 round (minute) per level.
It also blinded all beings of 6 hit dice (or was it 8?) who looked at it and failed their save (including the mage's allies, if applicable.)
A powerful spell!!
Thanks for the comments. I was just curious. Fortunately for my characters, no NPC out there started firing Prismatic Arrows at them!
It also blinded all beings of 6 hit dice (or was it 8?) who looked at it and failed their save (including the mage's allies, if applicable.)
A powerful spell!!
Thanks for the comments. I was just curious. Fortunately for my characters, no NPC out there started firing Prismatic Arrows at them!
Last edited:
Col_Pladoh
Gary Gygax
Whoa!Edena_of_Neith said:Jaran's Prismatic Sword (or Blade, not sure which at the moment) created a sword that only the mage could wield. It automatically inflicted all the damage of a Prismatic Sphere if it hit (10 damage + 20 + 40 + save versus death, spell, wand, breath weapon), each and every time it hit. It lasted 1 round (minute) per level.
It also blinded all beings of 6 hit dice (or was it 8?) who looked at it and failed their save (including the mage's allies, if applicable.)
A powerful spell!!
Thanks for the comments. I was just curious. Fortunately for my characters, no NPC out there started firing Prismatic Arrows at them!
That Prismatic Sword is a blasted artifact that a deity along hould weild
Cheers,
Gary
Edena_of_Neith
First Post
Yeah. It was sorta the AD&D lightsabre, as it were. The ultimate weapon.
It was in Dragon #241.
Thanks again!
Edena_of_Neith
It was in Dragon #241.
Thanks again!
Edena_of_Neith
Anson Caralya
First Post
Col_Pladoh said:
Gary, is this just pure theoretical musing, or have you thought through spells over 9th level at some point? What might they be like? Given that one well-known character of yours is a mage of greater than 20th level (although I never saw him statted-out with an Int >18)... I had always accepted 9th level as the far end of the OAD&D spell power continuum given the absolutes of the all-powerful wish, the no-save temporal stasis, and the godly-morphic shape change.
And is a 20th level m-u now an archarchmage?
Wasn't the AD&D light saber called a wand of force? Introduced in Forgotten Temple of Tharizdun. It's one of those items many of my PCs would have liked to acquire, along with an original holy vorpal sword.Edena_of_Neith said:Yeah. It was sorta the AD&D lightsabre, as it were. The ultimate weapon.
It was in Dragon #241.
Thanks again!
Edena_of_Neith
Scott
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