Dave Arneson and D&D

[kenjib]

I remember Mr. Gygax, in a thread about the origin of monsters when these were still Eric Noah's boards, saying rather explicitly that the Tolkien stuff was added to appeal to a wider audience and improve marketability. I hope I'm not misrepresenting him but I seem to remember it distinctly. As he's likely checking out this very thread I should hope he would correct me if I am mistaken. Does anyone else remember this?

 

[Welverin]

I remember Mr. Gygax, in a thread about the origin of monsters when these were still Eric Noah's boards, saying rather explicitly that the Tolkien stuff was added to appeal to a wider audience and improve marketability. I hope I'm not misrepresenting him but I seem to remember it distinctly. As he's likely checking out this very thread I should hope he would correct me if I am mistaken. Does anyone else remember this?

Yep, I remember him saying he added the Tolkien similarities for others and that he isn't all that fond of LotR.

 

[Gez]

Among the influences, I would add Fritz Leiber and Jack Vance. Howard also, probably. When I read the adventure of Fafhrd and the Grey Mouser, I can see the two character sheets. I even sometimes think that the ability of the rogue to use magic items comes from the fact that the Mouser was biclassed Wizard/Rogue, so to speak. And the magic system comes from Vance's Dying Earth books.

 

[JohnRTroy]

I don't think Gary outright denied Tolkien's influence, but he has a distaste for people giving JRRT all the credit for modern fantasy.

People forget about Moorcock, Leiber, Howard, and Merrit, and I think Gary was more annoyed with authors and gamers thinking it was all done by him, or that Tolkien was the "pinacle" or fantasy.

 

[AnthonyRoberson]

Gygax Quote about Tolkien and D&D

Following is a quote directly from The Sorcerer's Scroll in Issue #13 of Dragon magazine in which Mr. Gygax commments on the Tolkien's influence on D&D:

Furthermore, D&D was not written to recreate or in any collective way simulate Professor Tolkien's world or beings. A few were included, such as Balrog, Orcs, etc. for it was recognized that Tolkien made some impressions on the literary world, which were worth including in D&D, but not the extent of basing the game system around them.

Cheers,

Anthony R.

 

[ColonelHardisson]

Re: Gygax Quote about Tolkien and D&D

Following is a quote directly from The Sorcerer's Scroll in Issue #13 of Dragon magazine in which Mr. Gygax commments on the Tolkien's influence on D&D:

Furthermore, D&D was not written to recreate or in any collective way simulate Professor Tolkien's world or beings. A few were included, such as Balrog, Orcs, etc. for it was recognized that Tolkien made some impressions on the literary world, which were worth including in D&D, but not the extent of basing the game system around them.

Cheers,

Anthony R.

Gygax has said almost the exact same thing on these boards as recently as last year.