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.

 

[gideon_thorne]

We all notice you have nothing rude to say about Bobby

Cheers,
Gary

*assumes lofty pose* I am never rude to children of any age.

 

[Col_Pladoh]

Back from the Milwaukee jaunt, and had a good lunch at the New Hong Kong Buffet in the bargain, but I failed to find a copy of Ticket to Ride Europe...

*assumes lofty pose* I am never rude to children of any age.

Then why are you so rude to me, eh?

Cheers,
Gary

 

[gideon_thorne]

Back from the Milwaukee jaunt, and had a good lunch at the New Hong Kong Buffet in the bargain, but I failed to find a copy of Ticket to Ride Europe...


Then why are you so rude to me, eh?

Cheers,
Gary

LOL! Bud, you ain't seen me when I am actually deliberately being rude.

 

[Col_Pladoh]

LOL! Bud, you ain't seen me when I am actually deliberately being rude.

Oh My stars!

You mean it can get worse


Gary

 

[gideon_thorne]

Oh My stars!

You mean it can get worse


Gary

Yup. But ya really really have to be an uncool dude for it to get worse.

 

[Col_Pladoh]

Yup. But ya really really have to be an uncool dude for it to get worse.

Me? I'd never qualify as being uncool, 'cause I am a gamer


Gary

 

[SuStel]

Indeed, the cartoon was excellent advertising for the D&D game

I was playing D&D and AD&D before the cartoon was made, but I didn't keep up with the gaming community or industry back then. Therefore, when the Unearthed Arcana appeared in Toys-R-Us one holiday shopping season, I was taken by surprise. I looked inside and saw barbarians, cavaliers, and acrobats. "Hey!" I thought. "It's just like the cartoon!" I made my father buy it for me right away.

 

[Edena_of_Neith]

Heh. I would most certainly use that Rock to Mud spell. I wouldn't have asked if I wouldn't have tried the tactic. I say: All is fair, in love and war and gaming!
If I were DMing, and the PCs Rock to Mudded my Temple of Elemental Evil, EVERY monster in the place would come up and attack (undead and elementals do not suffocate, and elementals can easily open paths of egress for everyone else.) The mage isn't there anymore? Ok, go sack Hommlet and torture the people there until the culprit is named! It's Crystal Ball time after that. Then teleport to the mage's location and ... but the mage went to the King of Verbobonc for protection? (The King of Verbobonc: Do you know what you've done? Why the High Necromancer himself had come before me, threatened me, the King. What daring! What outrageousness! What arrogance! What innocence! ...)

Anyways ...

Your Chromatic Orb spell from Unearthed Arcana was a favorite of mine.
We know it was an Autokill spell at 12th level, if the mage could hit with it (and the dreaded and immensely popular elven fighter/mage, always could ...)
We know it was dropped in 2nd Edition AD&D.
I also know that, sadly for me, only one of my characters ever got to use it at 12th level!

Did you have Chromatic Orb as an Autokill spell in mind when you put it in Unearthed Arcana?
Was Chromatic Orb the way you wanted it to be, when it was published?
Do you still think of Chromatic Orb as a noteworthy spell, worthy of being in the Player's Handbook?
If you were to put Chromatic Orb in the PH now, would you keep it at 1st level or raise it's level? Keep it for illusionists only? Alter the spell characteristics?

Edena_of_Neith

 

[Col_Pladoh]

I was playing D&D and AD&D before the cartoon was made, but I didn't keep up with the gaming community or industry back then. Therefore, when the Unearthed Arcana appeared in Toys-R-Us one holiday shopping season, I was taken by surprise. I looked inside and saw barbarians, cavaliers, and acrobats. "Hey!" I thought. "It's just like the cartoon!" I made my father buy it for me right away.

Thanks

Your reaction to the UA book based on viewing the cartoon is another good example of "pull" from promotion.

Cheers,
Gary

 

[Col_Pladoh]

Heh. I would most certainly use that Rock to Mud spell. I wouldn't have asked if I wouldn't have tried the tactic. I say: All is fair, in love and war and gaming!

Heh, and I wasn't pointing a finger and fault-fnding. My players try all sorts of imaginative and generally underhanded tactics, and so do I when I am playing, not GMing

If I were DMing, and the PCs Rock to Mudded my Temple of Elemental Evil, EVERY monster in the place would come up and attack (undead and elementals do not suffocate, and elementals can easily open paths of egress for everyone else.) The mage isn't there anymore? Ok, go sack Hommlet and torture the people there until the culprit is named! It's Crystal Ball time after that. Then teleport to the mage's location and ... but the mage went to the King of Verbobonc for protection? (The King of Verbobonc: Do you know what you've done? Why the High Necromancer himself had come before me, threatened me, the King. What daring! What outrageousness! What arrogance! What innocence! ...)

Why allow the players to mess up the campaig setting?

Anyways ...

Your Chromatic Orb spell from Unearthed Arcana was a favorite of mine.
We know it was an Autokill spell at 12th level, if the mage could hit with it (and the dreaded and immensely popular elven fighter/mage, always could ...)
We know it was dropped in 2nd Edition AD&D.
I also know that, sadly for me, only one of my characters ever got to use it at 12th level!

Did you have Chromatic Orb as an Autokill spell in mind when you put it in Unearthed Arcana?
Was Chromatic Orb the way you wanted it to be, when it was published?
Do you still think of Chromatic Orb as a noteworthy spell, worthy of being in the Player's Handbook??

Yes to all of the above.

If you were to put Chromatic Orb in the PH now, would you keep it at 1st level or raise it's level? Keep it for illusionists only? Alter the spell characteristics?

Edena_of_Neith

I'd have to consider that seriously, something I haven't contemplated. My quick and dirty answer is keep all as it is but move the spell level up to 3rd ofr Illusonists.

Cheers,
Gary