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
- Category Features
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.
Griffith Dragonlake
First Post
Level Draining
Hi Gary, I wanted to get your opinion on the level draining ability of undead. Personally I have no problem with it both as a player and as a DM. I believe that between turning undead and restoration, a careful party can deal with such creatures successfully albeit with a great deal of healthy fear.
However, there are some others who hate level draining. One argument against level draining is that at least in 3rd edition, it causes too much bookkeeping. Given the complexity of 3rd edition character descriptions, I can understand that argument but I think it is really an indictment of 3rd edition rules rather than level draining.
In the 30 years that have elapsed since the AD&D Monster Manual was released, have you changed your opinion on level draining?
Hi Gary, I wanted to get your opinion on the level draining ability of undead. Personally I have no problem with it both as a player and as a DM. I believe that between turning undead and restoration, a careful party can deal with such creatures successfully albeit with a great deal of healthy fear.
However, there are some others who hate level draining. One argument against level draining is that at least in 3rd edition, it causes too much bookkeeping. Given the complexity of 3rd edition character descriptions, I can understand that argument but I think it is really an indictment of 3rd edition rules rather than level draining.
In the 30 years that have elapsed since the AD&D Monster Manual was released, have you changed your opinion on level draining?
I thought I'd back up Gary with something a science fiction author (David Brin) once said when asked about creating memorable alien species - he basically said that he takes one trait (such as being a trickster, or being stubborn, or scheming, or something like that) and turns the dial up to eleven on that trait. He does have some pretty unusual creatures in his universe...Col_Pladoh said:Tell me, what else are virtually all the humanoid races in fantasy and SF if not just that?...although they may not have special powers, just accentuated human characterists and senses.
As a matter of fact I am guilty of creating such species myself, but there is a reason, I am a human and think accordingly, and as I think I create. when a young female editor for a large publishing house once querried me in accusitory tone, "Why do you always write from the masculine perspective?!"
"Madam, I happen to be a male."
Gary
Nothing to ask Gary today, other than a sincere hope that your health is good!
Col_Pladoh
Gary Gygax
Sbiort answer: No, I still am q=wholly behind loss of levels from undead and certain magic items. As you note there are sufficient counters to such loss as to mitigate the worst effects if the PC party is played well.Griffith Dragonlake said:
I can not comment on the 3E system of handling this, as such effect never happened in the 20 or so game sessions I did play using that system.
In my experience most of the players that whine about level draining are either not truly skillful ones or pure power gamers.
Cheers,
Gary
Col_Pladoh
Gary Gygax
Yuppers!Vargo said:
It would be possible to create a completely different non-human species, but because the one doing so is human, some of that will surely show up in the supposedly exotic species, its history, cultures, and societies...not to mention technology. The time and effort required to devise such a thing would surely be inordinate, for the more successful the result the less the audience will be able to relate to it
And yes thanks! I am feeling pretty well and right chipper...only a tad overworked now in semi-retirement
Cheerio,
Gary
Sanguinemetaldawn
First Post
The original bard character class
Colonel,
In the AD&D PH, you wrote the following regarding the Bard in the appendix:
"Even though this presentation is greatly modified from the original bard character class, it is offered as supplemental to the system, and your DM will be the final arbiter as to the inclusion of bards in your campaign."
This piqued my interest, so I have been trying to track down the original bard class to compare. I went first to OD&D (Men & Magic, Eldritch Wizardry, etc) and wasn't able to find it, and I don't know where to start looking next. Did I just miss it or something?
Thanks.
Colonel,
In the AD&D PH, you wrote the following regarding the Bard in the appendix:
"Even though this presentation is greatly modified from the original bard character class, it is offered as supplemental to the system, and your DM will be the final arbiter as to the inclusion of bards in your campaign."
This piqued my interest, so I have been trying to track down the original bard class to compare. I went first to OD&D (Men & Magic, Eldritch Wizardry, etc) and wasn't able to find it, and I don't know where to start looking next. Did I just miss it or something?
Thanks.
Col_Pladoh
Gary Gygax
Whoa!Sanguinemetaldawn said:
I have a fair to middling memory, but this is too great a demand on it. going back 30 years for the basis of a character class is not possible, but...
Check The Strategic Review first and then earlly issues of The Dragon magazine, as it seems likely that is where the initial treatment of the Bard appeared.
Any reader know the actual periodical name and date of issue for the article on the Bard as a character class?
Cheers,
Gary
JamesM
First Post
That's interesting. Would you mind expanding a bit on the level limits issue? I must admit that, while I had no problems with the demihuman level limits in AD&D and indeed would like to see them return to more common use, I'd always assumed you introduced them as a counter to the special abilities demihumans possess compared to humans. Obviously, I was mistaken about this and there's a deeper rationale behind it.Col_Pladoh said:
Thanks.
Last edited:
Sanguinemetaldawn
First Post
JamesM said:
Excellent, found it, thanks.
Its interesting seeing the two versions side by side. The dual/triple classing version makes more sense based on the narrative presented for how bards are trained in Celtic environs, and the basis for bards in Skalds of the Norse.
You know, thats something I never really considered, the idea of one class being "training" for another class. The closest I can think of to this are the zero levels for the cavalier.
Col_Pladoh said:Tell me, what else are virtually all the humanoid races in fantasy and SF if not just that? ["funny-looking humans with cool powers"]...although they may not have special powers, just accentuated human characterists and senses.
As a matter of fact I am guilty of creating such species myself, but there is a reason, I am a human and think accordingly, and as I think I create. when a young female editor for a large publishing house once querried me in accusitory tone, "Why do you always write from the masculine perspective?!"
"Madam, I happen to be a male."
Gary
The only way I can do it is to adopt a strategy of some horror movies: The best way to make a monster scary is to keep it off-screen as much as possible. In my fantasy games, I try to do that by A) requiring all player characters to be human and B) limiting the PCs' interactions with demi-humans and humanoids to mostly small groups and cannon fodder. The PCs never hob-nob with a dwarven king, or eat lunch with elves, or engage in small-talk with a gnome. That would humanize them too much. Instead, I try to maintain a mystique around the demi-humans by using them sparingly. And when I do use them, they sometimes do things that make no sense at all from a human point of view. I think that the "culture shock" between a human and a demi-human should be qualitatively greater than the culture shock of a 21st-century American meeting a (for example) 14th-century B. C. Olmec.
- Status
Similar Threads
D&D General
D&D Luminary Jim 'Drawmij' Ward Passes
Related Articles
-
D&D General D&D Luminary Jim 'Drawmij' Ward Passes
- Started by Morrus
- Replies: 64
-
-
-
D&D General Luke Gygax Brings Back Gary Gygax's Castle Zagyg
- Started by darjr
- Replies: 112
-