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]

This has probably already been asked before, but what inspired D&D to transition from a game apparently played among a group of friends to published material?

We all read about the formative sessions of Chaainmail and D&D, does copies of the original rules still exist somewhere in that fabled spiral notebook?

And why was the use of a die 20 elected for use over say a die six or percentile system?

Here I am again!

In 1970 I left my previous field of work to become a professional writer and game designer, so it was with purpose that the D&D game was developed. The reason I wanted to become a "pro" was so that I could share what I thought were great game products with my fellows. This I did with respect to military miniatures rules, board wargames, and then the first RPG game sold.

Sadly, I have lost the original ms. copies for what became the D&D game, the initial c. 50 pp. (1972) one and the later 150 pp, (1973) one. I understand that at least one copy of one of them exists, but where I can't say. My original copy of the second draft went to the printers, and from it came the original D&D game's three booklets. I never recovered the ms. from the printer

As to the d20 for use in combat, we had used a 5% incrimental system for hit determination in an earlier work, the TRACTICS rules. thus it was natural for me to utilize the same easy system for the D&D game even as I used all the other dice for other aspects of the game.

Cheers,
Gary

 

[Col_Pladoh]

Re: briefcase tourney/Good King Despot's replacement?

Gary,

Back in the day, you commented that you used to carry a copy of The Abduction of Good King Despot for use at tourneys and cons as a pick-up game. Once you published that adventure, what have you carried around since?

Heh, and right....

After 'DESPOT was published I did have to find another fall-back. owever, as I was then working on the DANGEROUS JOURNEYS game system, I didn't need one for a FRPG. the initial genre for the DJ system was horror, and I had some adventure notes for that on hand when I went out and about. Later on I was not making any cons where I nbeeded pick-up material--too busy working on the fantasy material for the DJ/Mythus game. More recently I have taken to carrying around both some old D&D levels from my Greyhawk Castle campaign and an introductory adventure I did up for the LEJENDARY ADVENTURE game. As I don't attend many cons because I am so busy writing, that's plenty
Cheerio,
Gary

 

[Upper_Krust]

Hi Gary!

One question I have been puzzling over for years.

In Monster Manual 2 (1st Ed AD&D); pg 39 under the entry for Graz'zt you have the following line:

"...He was in fact waging a winning battle against the troglodyte, harpy and bar-lgura."

Who are 'THE' troglodyte; harpy and bar-lgura?

The sentence implies either unique entities or the entirety of the race/sub-race.

Can you shed any light on the matter?

 

[Redleg06]

Gary,

Someone may have asked this before, but I cannot resist throwing the hand-grenade into the china shop.

Drow. Was the original intent to create a reace of evil elves? Or just to create a race of sub-terrainian elves with dark skin and kewl abilities? (And those nifty little hand-crossbows!)

 

[Dinkeldog]

As an addendum to Redleg's question, was the intent that all drow would be evil and no player could ever be one?

 

[Col_Pladoh]

Hi Gary!

One question I have been puzzling over for years.

In Monster Manual 2 (1st Ed AD&D); pg 39 under the entry for Graz'zt you have the following line:

"...He was in fact waging a winning battle against the troglodyte, harpy and bar-lgura."

Who are 'THE' troglodyte; harpy and bar-lgura?

The sentence implies either unique entities or the entirety of the race/sub-race.

Can you shed any light on the matter?

Eeep! And here I was thinking that this thread was surely burind in the oblivion of the many old ones piled up here...

When I wrote the text in question in regards the demon Graz'zt, I was envisaging various warfare that must be constantly raging between the leaders of the Evil factions with their respective minions as the cannon fodder. Thus wording was ment to infer that one or more other potent Evil entities leading trogs, harpies, and bar-legura in opposition to Graz'zt.

That clear it up for you, Upper_Krust?

Ciao,
Gary

 

[Col_Pladoh]

Gary,

Someone may have asked this before, but I cannot resist throwing the hand-grenade into the china shop.

Kla-BLAM!

Okay, as the smoke and fragments clear, I step forth unharmed

Drow. Was the original intent to create a reace of evil elves? Or just to create a race of sub-terrainian elves with dark skin and kewl abilities? (And those nifty little hand-crossbows!) [/B]

Both, as a matter of fact. I wanted to have a new, unique, and interesting race of demi-humans that dwelled in and command much of the vast underworld of Oerth. They were, as stated, of Evil bent as a race, so the clear intent was to have fell opponents for non-Evil PC. That all drow were not of Evil I also noted in the "Gord the Rogue" tales, for Leda, a drow, was certainly not of malign sort.

The drow abilities were given to them to highlight their unique nature and potency.

Cheers,
Gary

 

[Col_Pladoh]

As an addendum to Redleg's question, was the intent that all drow would be evil and no player could ever be one?

Noppers. As noted in my reply to Redleg's post, I didn't think all drow had to be evil--only maybe 99% It then follows that some player might have a drow character, Evil or not, as the DM allowed

Cheers,
Gary

 

[ZimbrantSouldrinker]

Hey Gary,

It's little Dan from Wiscosin GenCon (83 I think)

I got one question, why did ya let Cook screw up the game soo badly?

Was is the cocaine, or did ya just not give a rat's ass?

Just wanna know....

(if you guys got the balls to ask him, I (as well as all other 1st ed. players and DMs) genuinely would really like to know.


It's all about respect and if you've got the boys to earn it

 

[Col_Pladoh]

Hey Gary,

It's little Dan from Wiscosin GenCon (83 I think)

I got one question, why did ya let Cook screw up the game soo badly?

Was is the cocaine, or did ya just not give a rat's ass?

Well, I can understand your calling yourself "little," because from the above it is evident that you are a small person in many ways. I won't dignify your question beyond stating the obvious: When Zeb Cook rewrote AD&D, I was no longer associated with TSR is any way. That is general knowledge available to anyone who has the sense to compare dates.

[/QUOTE]It's all about respect and if you've got the boys to earn it [/B][/QUOTE]

Whatever that means, rest assured you have no rerspect from me.

Gary