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.

 

[Gray Mouser]

Not much of anything.

Tougher stuff my PCs run away from in utmost haste

Cheers,
Gary

Heh, showing "the better part of valor" to be sure!

It always amazes me the number of gamers who haven't learned one of the most basic rules of survival when faced with a tougher opponent: Run away!!!

Gray Mouser

 

[Col_Pladoh]

Okay Jdvn1,

I'll have to pick up the DVD of Kingdom of Heaven when it is released and see if I concur with your assessment. the reviews say it is slanted against the Christians, and my son Luke said it was almost as bad as the hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy...

Cheerio,
Gary

 

[Jdvn1]

Ah, Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy is a horrible movie if you didn't read the books beforehand. It's filled with in-jokes.

This is a spoiler which you'd probably know if you know the crusades:

Spoiler

Kingdom of Heaven is mostly about some Christians who want to go to war with the Muslims versus other Christians who don't. There's a negative sland on the former group, a positive slant on the latter. It's assumed that the Muslims are mostly decent people and that they'd kill the Christians in a war.

 

[Col_Pladoh]

Hey Gary, I was just curious about your experience with Illusionist characters (I know you have a Gnome Illusionist/Thief PC). Do you (or any of the players you have DM'ed) have any memorable/unexpected/ingenious uses of illusions? I've always been attracted to Illusionists but have never had a lot of experience with them (either DMing them or playing them) and am just curious if you've had any stand out experiences with such characters.

Gray Mouser

My PCs have fallen many a time for a clever illusion, and I have similarly duped many a PC thus when I am DMing.

The trick in using them as a PC is not to have the prospective subjects notice the casting being done, so there will be little reason for them to disbelieve.

I have had an Illusionist PF use illusions of various traps in a dungeon setting to prevent pursuit or slow attacks.

Other than saying that, I've DMed and played so many game sessions clear recollection of outstanding examples not otherwise in a module of essay are not in my easily accessable memory banks :\

Cheers,
Gary

 

[Col_Pladoh]

Ah, Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy is a horrible movie if you didn't read the books beforehand. It's filled with in-jokes.

Luke listened to the radio program version of the HGttG, read the books, and watched the TV series. He still thought the movie fell out of the rear end of a horse.

IMO the radio version was far and away the best presentation, albeit I have not seen the motion picture.

Cheers,
Gary

 

[Col_Pladoh]

Heh, showing "the better part of valor" to be sure!

It always amazes me the number of gamers who haven't learned one of the most basic rules of survival when faced with a tougher opponent: Run away!!!

Gray Mouser

Heh...

I might well have named each and every one of my characters Falstaff, or Sir John Oldcastle in regards to beating feet when things looked grim in the odds of winning a confrontation department

How right you are, though, about the newer players not knowing when to retreat so as to fight another day! that's how my Old Guard Kobolds came into being, grew to be a force--killing PC parties that stayed and fought when it was clear they couldn't beat the little buggers.

Cheers,
Gary

 

[jokamachi]

Hmmm, I recall Falstaff was wont to embellish the retellings of his retreats with a healthy dose of heroism as well.

 

[Col_Pladoh]

Hmmm, I also recall Falstaff was wont to embellish the retellings of his retreats with a healthy dose of heroism as well.

Certs!

After all, the retrograde movement was but an attack in a different direction...

Cheers,
Gary

 

[jokamachi]

Hey, Gary

I've often endeavored to place Shakespearean characters in my games (with mixed success, I might add), but just out of curiosity, what sort of stats would you give Falstaff? How about his level(s)?


jokamachi

 

[Col_Pladoh]

Hey, Gary

I've often endeavored to place Shakespearean characters in my games (with mixed success, I might add), but just out of curiosity, what sort of stats would you give Falstaff? How about his level(s)?


jokamachi

As a matter of fact it is much easier to stat out Falstaff in the LA game system using the skill bundles therein than it is to give him a class and level rating.

In Lejendary Adventure game terms I'd give him the Soldier Order Abilities set:
Weapons (64 score), Planning (52 score), Ranging (40 score), Physique (30 score)--with a fifth ability of Pretense at c. 20 score. As he is aged and overweight I'd give him stats of Health 50, Precision 50, and Speed 10.

Cheers,
Gary