TSR Q&A with Gary Gygax

BOZ · May 16, 2006

IIRC, didn't the * denote pit fiends with higher than normal status?

haakon1 · May 16, 2006

Col_Pladoh said:
I avoid playing computer games on my PC and/or online, as once I start doing so that is all I want to do. My work and family suffer accordingly.

Luckily, you are the only gamer with that problem.

I think "never role-play alone" is up there with "never drink alone", for avoiding addictions.

haakon1 · May 16, 2006

Gygax quote

Does anybody have the Gary quote that used to be in a sig around here?

Something about excessive timidity or foolhardiness both being harbingers of death in such a setting? It was a goody. I think it was Henry's, but I could be wrong.?

Gray Mouser · May 16, 2006

BOZ said:
IIRC, didn't the * denote pit fiends with higher than normal status?

That's what I thought, too. Upon closer inspection, however, I was unable to see any reference to such in the text. Hopefully Gary can clear this up for me.

Gray Mouser

Col_Pladoh · May 16, 2006

Garnfellow said:
Greg Costikyan recently had an excellent online article that traces the rise of computer games, and there he gives the influence of D&D its due:

The Revolution Began With Paper

I remember Greg and Erik Goldberg wher they were in their teens...

:lol:

Gary

Col_Pladoh · May 16, 2006

Gray Mouser said:
Colonel,

I was just reading the Devils entry in the MM II and there is a section entitled "The Hierarchy of the Planes of Hell," in which you list "the dukes of hell as well as some of their foremost henchmen." The entry consists of three lists; the name of the dukes, the name of the devil they are in service to, and thier command or position. A few of the entries are marked with a (F) which obviously indicates that they are females (Baalphegor, Lilis, Lilith, etc.) but there are also some dukes that have an asterisk besides their name (*). I have been unable to locate any text in the MM II that explains the meaning of this mark. Names marked with an asterisk include: Alastor, Baalberith, Baalzephon, Bel, Bethage, Fecor, Furcas, Goap, Herobaal, Nexroth, Zaebos, Zapan, and Zimimar.

Any chance you could shed some light on the meaning of the asterisked entries? Does it have anything to do with the statement that "In general the dukes are equal to a weaker arch devil, although some are but little stronger than a pit fiend or are, in fact, actual pit fiends"? In other words, are those marked with an asterisk the weaker pit fiend variety dukes?

Anyway, thanks in advance!

Gray Mouser

It has been a long, long time since I write that, but what Boz mentioned rings a bell.

Of course the assignment of status was a generally arbitrary one on my part, based on some study of popular demonoliogies, so the DM should feel completely free to alter such designation as is seen fit.

Cheers,
Gary

Col_Pladoh · May 16, 2006

haakon1 said:
Luckily, you are the only gamer with that problem.

I think "never role-play alone" is up there with "never drink alone", for avoiding addictions.

Bah!

I see my son Alex wasting far too many hours to believe that initial statement, and refer you to the game known as "Evercrack." :lol:

Actually, my wife threatened to leave me because I would sneak out of bed to play a computer game at 3 AM, was doing no productive work at all... When I get a special boardgame I might blow a week, but a computer game can eat up months

Cheers,
Gary

Col_Pladoh · May 16, 2006

haakon1 said:
Does anybody have the Gary quote that used to be in a sig around here?

Something about excessive timidity or foolhardiness both being harbingers of death in such a setting? It was a goody. I think it was Henry's, but I could be wrong.?

Noppers!

That wasn't me asking about the quote. I seldom quote myself... :lol:

Cheers,
GAry

Gray Mouser · May 16, 2006

Col_Pladoh said:
It has been a long, long time since I write that, but what Boz mentioned rings a bell.

Of course the assignment of status was a generally arbitrary one on my part, based on some study of popular demonoliogies, so the DM should feel completely free to alter such designation as is seen fit.

Cheers,
Gary

Thanks, Gary, that's pretty much what I figured. When I went back and reread the MM II I simply couldn't find any actual explanation of the asterisk although I could've sworn seeing that explained somewhere before.

Gray Mouser

haakon1 · May 17, 2006

Col_Pladoh said:
Actually, my wife threatened to leave me because I would sneak out of bed to play a computer game at 3 AM, was doing no productive work at all... When I get a special boardgame I might blow a week, but a computer game can eat up months

Don't check out computer war gaming . . . you could seriously spend about 5 years playing "War in the Pacific". I played about 1 day of it (December 8, 1941) and decided I should wait for more when I'm retired. A game with ever aircraft and ship in the Pacific Theatre, even Merchant Ships . . . that's too cool to play! Someday, I'll figure out where George H.W. Bush is -- I guess he was still in Yale on that day, but presumably he shows up in the replacements eventually, along with John F. Kennedy. The generals and admirals are all real names. You can fire Nimitz and put Halsey in charge, if you want.

TSR Q&A with Gary Gygax

BOZ

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haakon1

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Gary Gygax

Col_Pladoh

Gary Gygax

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Gary Gygax

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Gary Gygax

Gray Mouser

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haakon1

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