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]

Hiya Gary -

I finally got a chance to buy a pdf copy of Gary Gygax's World Builder, and I have to say I'm pleased as punch with it. I've always loved the various lists and random tables for dungeon dressing and the like that were in the 1e DMG, and to have an entire book of this type of material is fantastic. I'm exactly the type of reader this book was aimed at. Well done!

Christmas Cheer, Colonel

Thanks kindly!

My co-author, Dan Cross, and I began to exchange lists of items and thus the idea for the book came into being. We are saving additions that have come to light for a revised edition if one ever comes about...

Anyway, it is heartning to hear from another lists and tables buff. I love to think hem up, but I am exceptionlly boring during such process...

Yuletide best wishes,
Gary

 

[nyrfherdr]

Col_Pladoh,
Your Christmas well wishes have inspired me to share a story.
I've been playing D&D since 1978. I gamed with my brothers and when work and college life took over a few years in, we would all play over the Christmas holidays. Christmas and D&D are tied to happy, joyous good times for me and my family.

I still play with friends and now my son has joined the chorus.

I just wanted to take a moment during this happy time of year to add my thanks (amidst all the others) for this wonderful game we play.

Thank you Mr. Gygax. I appreciate your creation and the wonderful memories it has made for me.

Merry Christmas
Game ON!
Nyrfherdr

 

[Col_Pladoh]

Col_Pladoh,
Your Christmas well wishes have inspired me to share a story.
I've been playing D&D since 1978. I gamed with my brothers and when work and college life took over a few years in, we would all play over the Christmas holidays. Christmas and D&D are tied to happy, joyous good times for me and my family.

I still play with friends and now my son has joined the chorus.

I just wanted to take a moment during this happy time of year to add my thanks (amidst all the others) for this wonderful game we play.

Thank you Mr. Gygax. I appreciate your creation and the wonderful memories it has made for me.

Merry Christmas
Game ON!
Nyrfherdr

Yuletide Best Wishes, Nyrfherdr

Thanks for the kind words, and do feel free to address me as Gary, as we are fellow gamers after all.

Family gatherings during the holidays and playing games then does strike a chord.Back when I was a lad we had to settle for toy soldiers up on the floor of the attic, or else games of cards, chess, Monopoly, Clue, and Big Business. As we had a large house, there was always plenty of room for my friends to join the gathering too

May those good memories remain ever green!

Christmas cheer,
Gary

 

[ColonelHardisson]

Christmas Cheer, Colonel

Thanks kindly!

My co-author, Dan Cross, and I began to exchange lists of items and thus the idea for the book came into being. We are saving additions that have come to light for a revised edition if one ever comes about...

Anyway, it is heartning to hear from another lists and tables buff. I love to think hem up, but I am exceptionlly boring during such process...

Yuletide best wishes,
Gary

Christmas Cheer to You and Yours, Gary!

I could pore through any number of books like the World Builder. They really prime the creative pump. Plus, this is the kind of material that helped me expand my vocabulary way back when. I'd be reading those charts, lists, and tables in the old DMG, and then run every few minutes to the family dictionaries - a big, old two-volume Webster's and an enormous British tome - to look up this or that word, and then get caught up in the "see also"'s...

Anyway, I don't know if you're familiar with a book called The Book of Weird by Barbara N. Byfield. It's a strange little book that defines what trolls, wizards, dragons, etc. are, in a very whismical style. It's a fun little book from the late 60s, I believe, and strongly reminds me of the milieu, so to speak, of early D&D.

 

[Col_Pladoh]

Howdy Colonel Hardisson

Pretty obviously I enjoy making up lists and tables--I recently did one for miscellaneous small junk found in dngeon areas--something over 500 separate possibilities when a few useful and actually valuables items are included.

Speaking of lists, most of the "Gygaxian Fantasy World" reference books series is so themed, wworking on details of some aspect of detailing a fantasy world, and that's why i enjoy creating such works or developmentally editing them

There were a number of whimsical books dealing with folklore done back in the 1960s, and I made use of several when creating AD&D critters. I don't believe that I ran across The Book of Weird, though.

Yuletide best wishes,
Gary

 

[Elfdart]

Howdy Colonel Hardisson

Pretty obviously I enjoy making up lists and tables--I recently did one for miscellaneous small junk found in dngeon areas--something over 500 separate possibilities when a few useful and actually valuables items are included.

Speaking of lists, most of the "Gygaxian Fantasy World" reference books series is so themed, wworking on details of some aspect of detailing a fantasy world, and that's why i enjoy creating such works or developmentally editing them

There were a number of whimsical books dealing with folklore done back in the 1960s, and I made use of several when creating AD&D critters. I don't believe that I ran across The Book of Weird, though.

Yuletide best wishes,
Gary

Did you ever use Katherine Briggs' Encyclopedia of Fairies? Unlike other such tomes, it includes a number of actual stories about the fairies, goblins, bogeys and other critters.

I've used it for 20+ years and still haven't used everything in it.

 

[Col_Pladoh]

Did you ever use Katherine Briggs' Encyclopedia of Fairies? Unlike other such tomes, it includes a number of actual stories about the fairies, goblins, bogeys and other critters.

I've used it for 20+ years and still haven't used everything in it.

Happy Christmas!

I have at least one of Katherine Brigg's books somewhere in the book archives in the basement here, but darned if I can recall the title. IIRR, the book of hers I have is well illustrated and is based mainly on the folklore of the British Isles.

Yuletide best wishes,
Gary

 

[Elfdart]

Happy Christmas!

I have at least one of Katherine Brigg's books somewhere in the book archives in the basement here, but darned if I can recall the title. IIRR, the book of hers I have is well illustrated and is based mainly on the folklore of the British Isles.

Yuletide best wishes,
Gary

Yep, that's the one! The section about Black Annis alone is worth the price. I have a whole sub-campaign around the machinations of the Cailleach Bheur.

 

[Elfdart]

Merry New Year to you too!

 

[Col_Pladoh]

Merry New Year to you too!

Heh...

Black Annis and green hags are indeed worthy monsters for FRPGs!

Being here and able to look forward to 2007 makes if a joyous time

Christmas best wishes,
Gary