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]

Well Ken...

Fact is I don't get to play military miniatures much at all. I have limited time, but I'd make room for at least a game a month--if anyone hereabouts was running interesting miniatures games. No one is At conventions I am too busy to get to play, except late at night. Being as old as I am I need to get my rest after a hard day, so I'm SOL.

I'd like to play: WW II, Napoleonics, Wild West, or just about any other non-fantasy fo SF minis game.

 

[optimizer]

Howdy!

Hi Mike

Well shucks! We weren't formal in play testing. When I had new material I'd just pass it sround to the guys, and let them decide what to do about it--or sit down and DM the adventure

Terry Kuntz played the first monk character, and he loved it. We had several assassins, but nobody played one for a long period of time. Tim Kask played the first bard IIRR. Druids were very popular, and he had been playing one regularly.

From the in-game experience I'd fine tune the new class and then get it into print so other gamers could have at it. Pretty much the same with adventure modules.

Cheers,
Gary

Thanks for the response!

On a related note, do you have any plans to publish another adventure after _Hall of Many Panes_?

Thanks!

Mike

 

[Joseph Elric Smith]

I'd like to play: WW II, Napoleonics, Wild West, or just about any other non-fantasy fo SF minis game.

Well then I guess one I get my prussian painted up < i;ll have to get an army for you painted up. though they are only 15mm, I prefer 25M but some times price and availability . I understand about finding players, thankfully with all the military around here I find lots of miniature gamers. SO I can keep my War-hammer, and Napoleonic desires satisfied.
Ken

 

[Col_Pladoh]

Howdy!



Thanks for the response!

On a related note, do you have any plans to publish another adventure after _Hall of Many Panes_?

Thanks!

Mike

Salut!

While I have at least one offer on the table to write an adventure module, I have been otherwise occupied...and have not been at all inspired. Modules are hard for me to write, as I wish to make each one different in as many ways as possible from all others I have created

Likely I'll get to work on another one of these months, though.

Cheerio,
Gary

 

[Col_Pladoh]

Well then I guess one I get my prussian painted up < i;ll have to get an army for you painted up. though they are only 15mm, I prefer 25M but some times price and availability . I understand about finding players, thankfully with all the military around here I find lots of miniature gamers. SO I can keep my War-hammer, and Napoleonic desires satisfied.
Ken

Speaking of Prussians...

I was building an army of Brunswickers in 30mm scale way back when. For the Duke's command figure I used a Sctuby Prissian Mounted Officer figurine. After properly painting him in black, with a chest-full of medals and a monacle, I used a piece of Airfix plastic sprue of brown-pink color, Bending it a bit and painting a yellow band around it, it was placed in the figurine's hand and looked a good deal like an Oscar Meyer Braunschweiger. Then I piped my troops into battle with an Oscar Meyer "weinie whistle."

the serious Napoleonics buffs were quite taken aback

Cheers,
Gary

 

[MerricB]

PC death was pretty common. Lower level ones were generally written off. Hioghtr level ones able to pay the cost, or with a Wish spell were brought back. Yrag died several times, and the same is true with most of the "famous" PCs from my campaign. Thus magic items enabling use of a Wish or Wishes were highly prized and generally reserved for bringing back a beloved character. The rule about being brought back no more than a number of timnes equal to the character's constitution was not fluff, but meant to restrain the more foolhearty players in risking their PCs.

G'day, Gary!

Thanks muchly - I've realised how non-fluff that constitution rule is in my recent play. One poor PC has died 10 times, and I told him a few months ago about that rule and that I was going to implement it in my 3E game.

He was somewhat horrified.

(He's even more horrified at the moment, as the PC has a bounty on his head due to possession by a Knight of Hell. )

It looks like my young apprentice, Grace (now 10) will be joining one of my ongoing campaigns for a few sessions, or possibly more. She's still enjoying the game, so that's good!

As to my next question: at some point towards the end of your time at TSR, there was an advertisement produced for a module named "Shadowland" or "Shadowlord", by yourself and Skip Williams, "A high-level module set in the World of Greyhawk. Journey to the perilous Plane of Shadow to rescue Princess Esterilla and confront the master of the plane... where you find yourself an unexpected guest at a wedding where the guests include a lizardman, a catlord, and a mistress of illusion!".

Had you done much design work for the module, or was it still mainly conceptual?

I guess a few of the ideas from the module made their way into the Gord the Rogue books?

Cheers!

 

[Col_Pladoh]

Howdy Merric

[snippage]

As to my next question: at some point towards the end of your time at TSR, there was an advertisement produced for a module named "Shadowland" or "Shadowlord", by yourself and Skip Williams, "A high-level module set in the World of Greyhawk. Journey to the perilous Plane of Shadow to rescue Princess Esterilla and confront the master of the plane... where you find yourself an unexpected guest at a wedding where the guests include a lizardman, a catlord, and a mistress of illusion!".

Had you done much design work for the module, or was it still mainly conceptual?

I guess a few of the ideas from the module made their way into the Gord the Rogue books?

Cheers!

Skip and I had done a good deal of work. the plot had been outlined, various new monsters sketched out, and the descriptive text worked up.

When the dispute about share ownership arose, the project was tabled, of course. After losing the decision in court, that pretty well canned the project, as neither Skip nor I could proceed alone, for the material developed was clearly a co-mingling of ideas. Of course now the work could be written, and somewhere Gail assures me the notes are on file. Not likely to see the light of day, Shadowland

The idea of the Catlord was mine own, and that was used in the Gord novels. The Plane of Shadow was not.

Cheers,
Gary

 

[optimizer]

Howdy!

While I have at least one offer on the table to write an adventure module, I have been otherwise occupied...and have not been at all inspired. Modules are hard for me to write, as I wish to make each one different in as many ways as possible from all others I have created

Likely I'll get to work on another one of these months, though.

I can understand how inspiration can impact module development - I have gone through long spells of not creating an adventure to DM because I did not have enough inspiration. That is when published adventures come in handy!

What are your plans for your local group when they finish HoMP in the next few months?

Thanks once more!

Mike

 

[Col_Pladoh]

Howdy!

I can understand how inspiration can impact module development - I have gone through long spells of not creating an adventure to DM because I did not have enough inspiration. That is when published adventures come in handy!

What are your plans for your local group when they finish HoMP in the next few months?

Thanks once more!

Mike

Well, Mike...

As you note, when inspiration fails the GM turns to published material. If the creative muse has deserted me still when the HOMP module is completed by the gang here, I think that they will likely get to adventure in Castle Wolfmoon--assuming that work is completed

Cheers,
Gary

 

[JRRNeiklot]

Hey, Gary, with all the flak the ranger class has been given in 3e, and indeed, in the upcoming 3.5e rules, why do you thinkis no one (myself included) has been really happy with the class? I loved the 1e and AU ranger class, but I have yet to see a version in 3e that really inspires me to play a ranger, though hackmaster comes close.