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.

 

[BOZ]

i'd like to entertain the idea that, perhaps one day, there may exist at WotC the opportunity to have a "classic greyhawk" line. that is, get in the time machine, set the dial back a bit to say right around the time Gary and TSR parted ways, and re-make a classic world into something that hardline old WoG fans would really dig. this would be spearheaded by EGG, if he so desires, or by whichever old school luminaries fit the bill best if he declines. he would have carte blanche to do with the world what he likes, though with the possible stipulation that nothing intentional be done to make the "future" events written over the last 20 years impossible (so as to appease those relatively few who like WoG the way it is, and thus not stifle the setting's current timeline). i think that would allow for more possibilities than it sounds like at first.

would, could, should such a thing happen? would gary or anyone agree to work on such a project, or would WotC every consider allowing such a thing?

eh, who knows, it was just a thought.

 

[Gray Mouser]

It will fit into the Oerth's Flanmaess too, most likely

Cheers,
Gary

Hmm, any suggestions where Yggsburgh might fit best on Oerth, Colonel?

Gray Mouser

 

[Col_Pladoh]

Hmm, any suggestions where Yggsburgh might fit best on Oerth, Colonel?

Gray Mouser

You might take a look at the area around theconfluence of the Neen and Ery Rivers...

Cheerio,
Gary

 

[Steverooo]

Just 'cause our world is not a perfect world, why can't WoG be?

How about: 'Cause perfect worlds don't need adventurers!?

 

[Gray Mouser]

You might take a look at the area around theconfluence of the Neen and Ery Rivers...

Cheerio,
Gary

Hmm,, but that would put it right near....

Hey, Colonel, a question for you regarding your recall of Greyhawkian geography! How good is your recall of the details of Oerth (the Flanaess but also of other portions)? I know it's been a long time since you were involved with the official setting but given your length of play in Oerth and the constant questions about it do you find recalling geography easy without recourse to the maps?

Gray Mouser

 

[Jupp]

Hmm, any suggestions where Yggsburgh might fit best on Oerth, Colonel?

Gray Mouser

According to CZ1 Yggsburg lies north-east of Dunfalcon (hint?) along the River Nemo (Selintan River?)

Either that or you could just replace the free city of Greyhawk with the free city of Yggsburg

 

[Sanguinemetaldawn]

weapons vs AC

Greetings Col,
I have some questions about the weapon details on pages 26-27 of 1E Unearthed Arcana.

For the length listing, does that include the hilt/grip? Especially the Two-Handed Sword....its listed at 6'. If that is 6' of blade, that strikes me as monstrously unwieldy.
Also, the table lists the Bardiche at 5' and the Battle Axe at 4'. I always imagined the Bardiche as a Pole Axe, and longer than 5'. Am I just plain wrong? Maybe I should be thinking of something else?

For the Space Required listing...
Is that radius or diameter? Was there a particular way you expected it to be used? Generally we wouldn't bother with this except when crawling through narrow tunnels or the like. How was this used when miniatures were employed?


For the weapon To Hit modifier versus Armor Class...
One thing that has frustrated me is the way the same modifer applied to different armor situations...
For example, a Lucern Hammer recieves a +2 against AC 4.
But AC 4 applied to Chain + Shield, Banded, Splint, and Bronze Plate. This seems like a highly varied situation. Was this essentially a simplification?

Also, how did you arrive at these modifiers?
Was it a matter of personal knowledge and research plus some educated guesswork?
Something else? Any references you'd recommend on this?



Finally...
There are a few weapons that unhorse or disarm on the right to hit roll.
For example a Guisarme would dismount a rider if it hits, and the Ranseur would disarm if it hit an AC 8.

1) Was the player required to announce they were attempting a disarm or dismount? Was choice required for the intended effect? (damage or dismount but not both?) Was the result an automatic side effect if the conditions were met?



2) Were these hit results supposed to account for AC versus Armor type?
For example, the Guisarme has a -3 to hit AC 1. Now lets say a third level fighter is attacking a horsed opponent wearing Full Plate (no shield) with a Guisarme and rolls a 19. Normally this hits, but after weapon versus armor type is misses.
Does this mean that the opponent is unhorsed but takes no damage? Or is the attack considered a total miss?



Thanks for dealing with so many questions.

 

[Col_Pladoh]

Hmm,, but that would put it right near....

Hey, Colonel, a question for you regarding your recall of Greyhawkian geography! How good is your recall of the details of Oerth (the Flanaess but also of other portions)? I know it's been a long time since you were involved with the official setting but given your length of play in Oerth and the constant questions about it do you find recalling geography easy without recourse to the maps?

Gray Mouser

Fortunately, I have the maps, although one is beginning to fall apart...

Cheers,
Gary

 

[Col_Pladoh]

According to CZ1 Yggsburg lies north-east of Dunfalcon (hint?) along the River Nemo (Selintan River?)

Either that or you could just replace the free city of Greyhawk with the free city of Yggsburg

Yggsburgh is a town, not meant to be anything like the Free City of Greyhawk. It is smaller and not near any huge lake

Cheers,
Gary

 

[Col_Pladoh]

Greetings Col,
I have some questions about the weapon details on pages 26-27 of 1E Unearthed Arcana.

As AD&D is now the IP of wizards of the Coast, I do not make any comments on the system. I'll make exceptions where the answer is general and not specific to the rules proper.

For the length listing, does that include the hilt/grip? Especially the Two-Handed Sword....its listed at 6'. If that is 6' of blade, that strikes me as monstrously unwieldy.
Also, the table lists the Bardiche at 5' and the Battle Axe at 4'. I always imagined the Bardiche as a Pole Axe, and longer than 5'. Am I just plain wrong? Maybe I should be thinking of something else?

The lengths were entire, not just for the blade, and a two-handed sword was gripped on hilt and lower blade. They were unwieldy for all but very strong men, and even then if the wielder missed likely he was dead.

A bardiche is not a long poke arm, but rather a short one, and the blade of the weapon is typically about two or two and a half feet long otr even longer. It is not an axe but rather more of a cleaver-type weapon.

For the Space Required listing...
Is that radius or diameter? Was there a particular way you expected it to be used? Generally we wouldn't bother with this except when crawling through narrow tunnels or the like. How was this used when miniatures were employed?

It was ignored. The AD&D game was not designed to be a cmbat simulation, and the information should likely have been omitted.

For the weapon To Hit modifier versus Armor Class...
One thing that has frustrated me is the way the same modifer applied to different armor situations...
For example, a Lucern Hammer recieves a +2 against AC 4.
But AC 4 applied to Chain + Shield, Banded, Splint, and Bronze Plate. This seems like a highly varied situation. Was this essentially a simplification?

See above :\

Also, how did you arrive at these modifiers?
Was it a matter of personal knowledge and research plus some educated guesswork?
Something else? Any references you'd recommend on this?

My roots are in military history and military miniatures gaming. I read a lot of books about arms and armor, and then used educated guesswork based on a few solid historical references regarding the efficiacy off weapons versus armor and vice versa.

In all, I included the details because of insistance of some avid palyers that were in touch with me, regretted listening to them, for the RPG is not suited to combat simulation.

Finally...
There are a few weapons that unhorse or disarm on the right to hit roll.
For example a Guisarme would dismount a rider if it hits, and the Ranseur would disarm if it hit an AC 8.

1) Was the player required to announce they were attempting a disarm or dismount? Was choice required for the intended effect? (damage or dismount but not both?) Was the result an automatic side effect if the conditions were met?

The latter. that is the advantage of the pole-arm

2) Were these hit results supposed to account for AC versus Armor type?
For example, the Guisarme has a -3 to hit AC 1. Now lets say a third level fighter is attacking a horsed opponent wearing Full Plate (no shield) with a Guisarme and rolls a 19. Normally this hits, but after weapon versus armor type is misses.
Does this mean that the opponent is unhorsed but takes no damage? Or is the attack considered a total miss?

As I noted above, we never used the weapons vs. armor type adjustments.

Thanks for dealing with so many questions.

Welcone...for such as my answers are

Cheers,
Gary