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]

Hey Gary! I was just leafing through the latest Previews when I ran across an entry for Inner City Games Designs, which listed a module called A Challenge of Arms, written by you and Christopher Clark. I hadn't heard of this one before; I try to keep up on these threads, but the memory fades at times, so I apologize if it's been addressed somewhere above. Anyway, it looks cool; the listing says it's something of a universal system product. The cover they show looks very "old school," which I immediately liked. Looks like it will be the first in a trilogy. Anything you'd like to expound upon? I'm looking forward to it (and heck, it's cheap, too, at $11 for an 80 page module).

Howdy Colonel

Whoa, and I'd nearly forgotten about those modules... They are in the "old school" form having plenty of combat and problem solving, PC mistakes likely to lead to character death.

Chris and I wrote A CHALLENGE OF ARM'S and RITUAL OF THE GOLDEN EYES about three and two years back, respectively. As they aren't "flashy," and ICGD isn't known for RPG modules, the first two have languished, relatively speaking. The final portion, CASTLE WOLFMOON, is still in process of final development. The concluing part grew like Topsy, and we can't figure out how best to publish it, for it is huge.

Chris developed a good generic system for these adventures, one that is easy to use with OAD&D, 2E also. I had to work a bit to convert it to the LA game, but I managed without much trouble. I'm not sure how it will work with 3E, though.

Anyway, CASTLE WOLFMOON is on a back burner at ICGD because of its size. Glad you mentioned this, as I need to prod Chris to get the last module (or module set) into print.

Cheers,
Gary

 

[Col_Pladoh]

Hey gary,have you taken a look at third ed or "special eds'" edition of the oriental adventures or rokugan?

I am a bit vapid minded right now,so I don't quite have the specifics of what I wanna ask,although I will collect my thoughts and query tomorrow.How do you feel about it overall and did they change alot of your original ideas,like shugenja's and the shadowlands?

Fast answer is noppers! As I am not DMing a 3E campaign, and otherwise very busy, I just can't keep up. It takes most of my time to earn a livelihood writing

Cheers,
Gary

 

[Forgey]

A Challenge of Arm's

So... this one is making the news again .

In all seriousness... and with a certified SPAM alert as I'm about to describe the module for those wondering... which will inalterably lead to me 'shining on' a bit.

A Challenge of Arm's is an old school module, complete with a full town adventure and a full dungeon crawl. There's about 6 subplots in this one, so stay sharp if your playing.

The Milwaukee Gamefest is currently looking at basing a team tournament around this module.

Other cool stuff:
There are something like 10-14 pages of new creatuers, described in full detail, in a Beastiary at the end of the module so that you can readily adapt the adventure to whatever system you're using.

Remember the original S1 Tomb of Horrors with the cool pull-out illustrations that you could show to the party (as the GM)? Too bad you had to cover some up as the party shouldn't see what they hadn't encountered yet... We put 24 full page illos in there that are NOT bound into the book (and aren't part of the 80 pages). In addition, the illos are geared towards the party's perspective... in other words, the GM's 'in-book' picture will show the traps, tripwires and hiding monsters... the players views (the loose full-page pics) do not.

There are three full-page maps that are NOT bound into the module but are on printed on parchment stock as seperate pages... so that you can provide maps to the party.

EP awards for traps and situations (suggestions for same) are part of the adventure as well... not JUST eps for killing monsters.

This is NOT a linear adventure. I hate those... while not completely nexial, there is always more than one way to get somewhere, and more than one right answer to a problem.

...and its not a typo... you'll find out who"The Arm" is if you play it .

When originally released, this module came with a really bad GM screen and was priced at $15.00. This version is sans the screen, hence its price of $11.00.

Yes, it is the first of a 3-part series... although all of them are designed to play stand-alone as well as in series.

Let me know what I forgot... This was the first published work that Gary and I did together... and I will say that I think most will find it both unexpected in many places, as well as enjoyable.

Forgey

 

[BOZ]

Hi Melan

[OUOTE]I am also intrigued by the comment on "1oth level mage psells". Did you intend to publish these in, say, a second edition of AD&D, or even use them in your own campaign? Do so powerful spells have a place in the game... Especially in the hands of Player Characters?

I planned to test them in my campaign, and if they worked well introduce the new level of spells in a revised edition of AD&D I hoped to get to in the late 80s--I left notes for the revised edition at TSR, but those were not followed. The new spells were powerful, but not world-shattering, and if campaigns went on for many years I figured they would be useful--not to mention as material for DMs' potent NPCs... they were to fit into the expanded game with Mystic and Savant character classes, as well as the jester one. (Don't ask about that oinformation. It is all lost or proscribed by legal agreement.)
[/QUOTE]

and that's the damn shame of it all.

 

[Melan]

Another question, if you don't mind.

In several early D&D adventures and supplements, there is a considerable number of futuristic elements: the whole Barrier Peaks module, Dave Arneson's Temple of the Frog and City of the Gods (not to mention a lot of Blackmoor). Judges Guild supplement have a ton of them, too. You also recounted a battle between an Evil High Priest and a division of nazis with tanks and all in The Strategic Review (which I read in the Dragon Archives CD-Rom).

How common were these in early play? E.g. did the players often find laser rifles, crashed spaceships and androids (they are, if I recall correctly, even recommended monsters in Monsters&Treasure)? How does this mesh with your insistance on gunpowder not working in D&D? Do you feel these elements have a vital role in the game, or should campaigns be more "pure"? If crossovers are good, were there other genres which appeared in your early campaigning?

 

[Col_Pladoh]

and that's the damn shame of it all.

But Lorraine Williams knew what was best for the D&D game system...

Ciao,
Gary

 

[Col_Pladoh]

Another question, if you don't mind.

In several early D&D adventures and supplements, there is a considerable number of futuristic elements: the whole Barrier Peaks module, Dave Arneson's Temple of the Frog and City of the Gods (not to mention a lot of Blackmoor). Judges Guild supplement have a ton of them, too. You also recounted a battle between an Evil High Priest and a division of nazis with tanks and all in The Strategic Review (which I read in the Dragon Archives CD-Rom).

How common were these in early play? E.g. did the players often find laser rifles, crashed spaceships and androids (they are, if I recall correctly, even recommended monsters in Monsters&Treasure)? How does this mesh with your insistance on gunpowder not working in D&D? Do you feel these elements have a vital role in the game, or should campaigns be more "pure"? If crossovers are good, were there other genres which appeared in your early campaigning?

Intense adventuring in the quasi-medieval fantasy milieu becomes staid without some variety. some campaigns manage this by bringing integue and politics into the mix. My group was too large and action-oriented to enjoy much of that...

Science Fiction is really no more than future fantasy, so that was a logical choice, and one that was popular with most players. The more daring (Rob, Ernie, Terry, etc.) loved to send their PCs into the "future" alternate world area based on Vance's "Planet of Adventure." This was the "Carabas" where the Dirdir hunted humans out seeking nodes bearing sequins.

Unlike gunpowder weapons, SF ones are "magical" in that their operational power is unknown and irreproducable by PC. PCs gaining laser-like arms in a SF setting had nothing more than a "wand" with limited charges, a weapon that was useless after those charges were expended. (I allowed 20 charges, less those expended by the former possessor, with usual damage based on 5d4 for pistols, 5d6 for rifles.)

When I devised a scenario in which the PC party were gated into out own world, entering NYC's subway system during the blackout there, the players caught wise and after wiping out a street gang and getting shot a few times thus, turned tail and hastened back to their own world rather than face police with more firearms

The "curses" sent parties to places such as "Barsoom" and to (my favorite) the "Starship Warden" of Metamorphosis Alpha.

So I retained the fantasy base but offered opportunities to experience other milieux. Overall, the group appreciated that greatly. The main complaint came from Jim Ward who was much aggrieved when his elf fighter-mage ended up in his own RPG's setting. The "Vigilists" there welcomed the "mutant" warmly, though, and his wanf of fireballs became the most potent weapon in that group's arsenal!

Cheers,
Gary

 

[Uriah Heep]

"Uriah Heep"

Col_Pladoh wrot:

Didn't Uriah Heep found More Science High? (Firesign Theater, "Don't Crush that Dwarf, Hand Me the Pliers.)


Actually, I know that Heep was a Dickens character, but I adopted the name from my favorite classic rock band, Uriah Heep, which is celebrating their 33rd year together this year. The name was also used for a fighter character I created. Hmm, come to think of it, I miss the guy. He is third level, but we have not played 2e in so long, not to mention that particular group of characters, that the c/s is yellow now. LOL. And the c/s was originally white. LOL. You know, now that I look at this sheet, he was pretty kick but for 3lvl. Ok, Larcen, we must re-visit these old characters again. Hmmm.

 

[Uriah Heep]

A character and his girdle

Hey Larcen, have you ever told the "girdle" story on this BB? You mean you never told the story? To amuse your captian(see EGG)? LOL. Ok, Larcen will have my head on a platter if I keep this up. But it is a very funny story. And a good one, and Larcen tells it well.

Ok, Gary, If you are not crazy about speed factors, why/who thought about putting them in the game? What was the reason for them?

 

[BigBastard]

Gary, whats your take on the upcomming book "The Book of Erotic Fantasy"? Do you think this could hurt roleplayings image?