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.
Col_Pladoh
Gary Gygax
Dogbrain said:
Adding a d% roll to an 18 Strength roll is hardly complicated. It was done because Strength was the only stat that needed to be increased in steps by the d% mechanic so as to improve fighters to hit and damage chances. So that was used because I favor interesting play over any imagined elegance, that being quite unlikely in an RPG in my view. RPGs are games, not art, and I don't give myself airs.
Can you imaging the increases of stats going into the 20s needed in order to get the same result as 18/00? The human norm bell curve of 3-18 down the tubes in a jiffy. Not elegant at all, and simply foolish
Cheers,
Gary
Power_Word_Wedgie
First Post
Col_Pladoh said:Howdy Power_Word_Wedgie
I was contacted about contributing to the book, but I passed. As it stands my writing schedule is booked through 2005. Besides, I've said about all I need to say in regards to the D&D game over the last 30 years...
Cheers,
Gary
Thanks for replying so quickly. I can appreciate the fact that over 30 years you have said your piece. (probably to the point of hearing the same question asked ad nauseum) However, do you have a recommendation as to a good source for reading the entire history of RPG and gaming - where the history, and your comments over the lst 30 years, has been documented into a central source? Do you have an autobiography. My concern is that sometimes the history blurs as time goes by, and though it isn't like putting a man on the moon, it certainly is a historical event from the late 20th century. I remember seeing like an 8-page article on gaming posted on the internet abotu D&D a while back, with comments from both you and Arneson, but I was wondering if there is more. (Sorry in advance if this question has been asked previously)
Col_Pladoh
Gary Gygax
Power_Word_Wedgie said:
Jon Pickens at WotC has done a very accurate history ot the D&D game. I don't know if it's generally available or not, but I can vouch for it being on target through 1985.
There are dozens of Q&A sessions with me in the hot seat, but they are spread all over. Silven Crossroads does a short one every month in fact.
I have a very long bio done, but it isn't a real autobiography. That is a chore, and I have managed to write only a few score pages to date, those mainly dealing with my childhood years and family.
Your comments about memory growing fuzzy and inaccurate are well taken. Someone is working on a history of GenCon, and in speaking with him I discovered I had forgotten a lot about the early cons after number II. So I got Len Lakofka involved, and his memory was no better than mine, although he recalled the names of a couple of people who might have information that I had forgotten. Unusual events tend to linger in my memory, bit the routine ones fade, and after the first few years GenCon became routine...
Cheers,
Gary
First of all, thanks so much for answering Whitey's earlier question - not only was this most kind of you, but it really illumninated some matters that have been raised in and that are key to our games.
Here's another matter, more a trivia question. Someone asked what the first ever monster in a dungeon was (going back to the preliminary phases of the game ages ago) and what its final fate was. If this has been asked earlier, finding the appropriate post and response would be a boon.
Again, many thanks.
Here's another matter, more a trivia question. Someone asked what the first ever monster in a dungeon was (going back to the preliminary phases of the game ages ago) and what its final fate was. If this has been asked earlier, finding the appropriate post and response would be a boon.
Again, many thanks.
Col_Pladoh
Gary Gygax
Whitey said:
My pleasure
The monsters first encountered, by son Ernie's and daughter Elise's characters, were a nest of scorpions in some rubble in the very first room of the dungeon they entered. The glint of coins was mentioned to lure the incautious hand into attack proximity, but Elise's PC used a dagger to poke around, and the scorpions were spotted. Eventually one managed to sting, but the poison saving throw was made. They next encountered and defeated a gang of kobolds with a chest of 3,000 copper pieces. Needless to say, they weren't pleased with the treasure.
Cheers,
Gary
Jehosephat
First Post
Col_Pladoh said:My pleasure
The monsters first encountered, by son Ernie's and daughter Elise's characters, were a nest of scorpions in some rubble in the very first room of the dungeon they entered. The glint of coins was mentioned to lure the incautious hand into attack proximity, but Elise's PC used a dagger to poke around, and the scorpions were spotted. Eventually one managed to sting, but the poison saving throw was made. They next encountered and defeated a gang of kobolds with a chest of 3,000 copper pieces. Needless to say, they weren't pleased with the treasure.
Cheers,
Gary
Gary,
Greetings! This brings to mind something that I have often thought about. My favorite column to read in Dragon Magazine is "Up On a Soapbox". When I pick up a back issue that's the first thing I look for. I love reading the exploits of Tenser, Robilar, Yrag or whoever else you would be writing about in the given month. My question is this, is there ever a chance of some kind of Greyhawk diary or journal beling released where you collect these kinds of tales. My guess is that you have 1000s of them that you could choose from. I for one would love to read that sort of thing. More so if it also contained some bits of campaign information that showed the early stages of Greyhawk and how and why it came together in the fashion that it did. I expect that there would be many others who would be interested in this sort of thing too.
Sincerely,
Rob
Last edited:
Col_Pladoh
Gary Gygax
Jehosephat said:
Hi Rob
Pleased to learn you enjoy those old tales of the early D&D adventures we had. After so long a time it isn't possible to say how many interesting events have been forgotten, but surely there were some. However, as with all campaigns, we had far more unremarkable sessions than interesting ones. I wish there were even scores more to tell, but my list of springboards for columns is down to a handfull or so.
Fortunately, Rob Kuntz has pitched in, written four accounts of adventures, and he assures me he has a fair number of additional ones. When all of my recollections are set down in print, and Rob's essays are completed, we plan to collect the lot and publish them in book form. That will be at least two years from now, The volume won't be large, but hopefully sufficiently so to make it worthwhile for readers.
Cheers,
Gary
Jehosephat
First Post
Col_Pladoh said:Hi Rob
Pleased to learn you enjoy those old tales of the early D&D adventures we had. After so long a time it isn't possible to say how many interesting events have been forgotten, but surely there were some. However, as with all campaigns, we had far more unremarkable sessions than interesting ones. I wish there were even scores more to tell, but my list of springboards for columns is down to a handfull or so.
Fortunately, Rob Kuntz has pitched in, written four accounts of adventures, and he assures me he has a fair number of additional ones. When all of my recollections are set down in print, and Rob's essays are completed, we plan to collect the lot and publish them in book form. That will be at least two years from now, The volume won't be large, but hopefully sufficiently so to make it worthwhile for readers.
Cheers,
Gary
Gary,
thank you for the reply. I for one will be looking forward to that book.
Right or wrong, those types of accounts are what seem to get my creative juices flowing and itching to play some D&D. In fact I am getting ready to launch a new Greyhawk campaign within the week.Just this morning I was rereading the account of Robilar's planned excursion to the moon. I would have payed money to see the look on Rob Kuntz's face when Herb the Sage presented his giant catapult. Gosh, that just gets more comical each time I read it.
Col_Pladoh
Gary Gygax
Jehosephat said:Gary,
thank you for the reply. I for one will be looking forward to that book.
Just this morning I was rereading the account of Robilar's planned excursion to the moon. I would have payed money to see the look on Rob Kuntz's face when Herb the Sage presented his giant catapult. Gosh, that just gets more comical each time I read it.
Herb thought it was a good idea at the time, rather as some SF writers on opur world thought that firing a space vessel from a giant cannon to reach the moon would be workable.
Rob took the whole thing quite calmly, all things considered, the huge outlay of gold pieces that Robilar had made. However, it soured him on Lunar exploration, which saddened me, because I was planning on having thre moon a place like "Hothouse World," with all manner of mutant plants and people on it, as well as some little sprite-like races dwelling around the verge of the vast central jungle.
Ain't magic grand?
Cheers,
Gary
- 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
-