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.

 

[Patryn of Elvenshae]

We made it all the way thru with no PC deaths (tho I won't say the same about NPCs, hirelings, henchmen, conjured critters, et al.),

I think that's the difference.

You made it through with no PC deaths, sure, but it still looks like you had something like an 80% casualty rate.

I've never played in a game in which the number of NPC tagalongs ever approached those numbers. In fact, it's usually just the PCs. Thus, an 80% casualty rate doesn't mean "The redshirt steps through the door and dies, yet again." It means, "Bob, Jim, Betty, and Paul, start rolling new characters."

 

[Col_Pladoh]

,,,

Yes, that is creepy stuff indeed. "I thought we were here to fight norkers...?"

That is the effect I was aiming for, yes...

...

Just my thoughts. Any of them anything close to what you had in mind? Not that I want to ask someone to explain a joke. (Speaking of which: "Teldroll Storis"??? Shouldn't he have been a bard?)

Yes, your observations are not unlike what i was aiming to engender.

Sorry for the terrible pun, but I can not resist including them, slipping one into even in the most serious of works

Something that always bothered me a bit about this one was that PC's needed to take the role of T's priests and act out his rites to gain the treasure. I suppose this is a simple enough question -- the treasure is there, what are you willing to do to get it? But I didn't see the potential for characters to be clever, yet true to their own allegiances, and win the big prize. It seems to rule out success by groups containing paladins, good clerics, etc. I'd be curious to hear your thoughts on that point as well.

Thanks for producing such a thought-provoking work!

The vile evil of Tharizdun is such that the adventurers must be comprimised to some extent in order to gain any real material reward from his temple. the truly benign party that refuses to yield thus to gain riches should be rewarded by special XPs. Likely i should have stated that, but when I wrote the module I was still making assumptions regarding the perspicacity of the vast majority of DMs that would use the adventure material...as if they could read my mind :\

Cheers,
Gary

 

[Col_Pladoh]

I love this reply. It really says all that needs to be said.

Well, nobody said I was particularly tactful, but at least there's no doubt about how i stand on most matters

Heh,
Gary

 

[Col_Pladoh]

All whiners and wieners should be dispatched to the Hall of Many Panes there to learn the error of their ways!!

Jon

Howdy Amigo!

Did you see the thread regarding the HoMP? There were some very odd comments therein, including one that asserted that PCs should be making decisions, not players...

Who says gamers can't lose touch with reality? (Aside from me who used to say that )

Cheerio,
Gary

 

[Col_Pladoh]

"Whiners and Wieners"??? Brilliant!!!

::runs off to file copyright paperwork on a hot new RPG::

Can't copyright that, but perhaps registering it as a trade mark will serve...


Gary

 

[Col_Pladoh]

I think that's the difference.

You made it through with no PC deaths, sure, but it still looks like you had something like an 80% casualty rate.

I've never played in a game in which the number of NPC tagalongs ever approached those numbers. In fact, it's usually just the PCs. Thus, an 80% casualty rate doesn't mean "The redshirt steps through the door and dies, yet again." It means, "Bob, Jim, Betty, and Paul, start rolling new characters."

Perhaps Bob, Jim, Betty, and Paul should learn to be more thoughtful and cautious in the play of their PCs if they value them, eh?

As I stated above, when the ToH was used as a tournament, several groups won through to the end, and at least one of them did so without a PC loss.

The module is for higher-level PCs played with skill. As for PC losses, that's what clerics and wish spells are for, restoring such game personas to life. As a matter of fact, my very best PCs have had to have such ministrations done on their behalf to remain viable

Cheers,
Gary

 

[Patryn of Elvenshae]

Perhaps Bob, Jim, Betty, and Paul should learn to be more thoughtful and cautious in the play of their PCs if they value them, eh?

As I stated above, when the ToH was used as a tournament, several groups won through to the end, and at least one of them did so without a PC loss.

But did they also have the 20+ retainers which, I'm led to believe, was fairly standard "back in the day"?

If so, how many of them made it through?

 

[Anson Caralya]

The vile evil of Tharizdun is such that the adventurers must be comprimised to some extent in order to gain any real material reward from his temple. the truly benign party that refuses to yield thus to gain riches should be rewarded by special XPs. Likely i should have stated that, but when I wrote the module I was still making assumptions regarding the perspicacity of the vast majority of DMs that would use the adventure material...as if they could read my mind

Gary, thanks as always for a thorough and quick reply. As mentioned previously, I wasn't confronted by this obstacle when I ran the adventure back in the day, which is fortunate, as I considered the word of a published module to be sacrosanct back then (I was young). Were I to run it now, I would build in some type of mechanism for the PC's to further seal/obscure the temple (and reward them for this) or maybe somehow allow the possibility to blow the treasure out of the cyst without bowing to T. Characters who choose to eat from his tree, of course, get what they deserve.

Thanks again!

 

[Flexor the Mighty!]

But did they also have the 20+ retainers which, I'm led to believe, was fairly standard "back in the day"?

If so, how many of them made it through?

Is that important? It's like asking how many security officers died on an original Star Trek away mission. That's what they are there for!

 

[gideon_thorne]

Just make sure that the ones you want to keep alive aren't wearing red.

Is that important? It's like asking how many security officers died on an original Star Trek away mission. That's what they are there for!