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.

 

[Steverooo]

Somehow you have missed a good deal that TLG has released has touted the release of, or has plans to do

Oh, I was aware of ALL of that (except the Gord books, which I thought you had said in the Part X thread was not going to happen, due to the current graphic novel market). I'm just not interested in LA (as you well know), and none of the rest applies to my inquiry.

None of that is with TRS, though, and I do believe that operation is defunct.

And hence the above all being left out, as inapplicable... I never said you haven't been busy!

 

[Steverooo]

Oh, and a happy belated birth-day. Mine's tomorrow.

Well, happy birthday(s)! Here's hoping it is/was a good one!

 

[Steverooo]

Sorry - to clarify, if the Wizards hold the rights to Greyhawk and so using settings and names (as you indicated in the above post about the Valley of the Mage) isn't possible, what made the name "Zagyg" (which is certainly a major part of Greyhawk) different so that you can publish this wonderful new series?

Perhaps because "Zagyg" is not equal to "Xagyg" ("Gygax" spelled backwards), as spelled in the original WoG? One such misspelling can probably be gotten away with, but "Perrinland" and "Selene", and so on would quickly become suspect... Besides, how are you going to misspell "Stoink" and "Cuthbert"? Stoinc & Kuthbert?

 

[Brooklyn Red Leg]

Damn! I could have sworn that there was at least one Michigan regiment in the Iron Brigade...

Ah, not exactly. The Iron Brigade was originally a New York brigade (named around the time of April 1862) whereas Gibbon's Black Hat Brigade did not gain the epithet Iron Brigade (usually called Iron Brigade of the West by alot to distinguish it) until sometime after Antietam. There are several spurious stories about the Westerners (specifically that General 'Fighting' Joe Hooker naming them at the Battle of South Mountain, as well as the erroneous story that the Iron Brigade of the West lead the Army of the Potomac's column into the Battle of Gettysburg when it was in fact Cutler's 2d Brigade that did so), who did deserve the name Iron Brigade due to their tenacity during the 1st day of Gettysburg. They were in the same division together when the Army of the Potomac was first organized, though the New Yorker's had the 'sweet spot' of the 1st Division, 1st Brigade when the Westerners had the 4th Brigade of the 1st Division.

The original Iron Brigade (made up mostly of 2 yr regiments) was mustered out in early June of '63 when most of its regiments (22d, 24th & 30th NY) enlistments were up. At that time, (IIRC, I dont have my reference books near me) the 1st Corps alone lost 19 regiments due to enlistments ending. It was then that the Westerners moved to the 1st Brigade position. The 14th Brooklyn was moved to Cutler's 2nd Brigade of the 1st Division, 1st Corps, while the Berdan's 2d US Sharpshooters were brigaded with the 1st US Sharpshooters in the Sickle's 3rd Corps.

If you want to read more about the Original Iron Brigade, may I suggest Googling an article by the name of 'Black Hats off to the Original Iron Brigade'.

 

[Frank Mentzer]

Rah / Egg

Above 'twas a mention of Heinlein...

You may not know that Gary and I were going to create the game version of Glory Road. But alas, the dean passed on during the planning, and they put a hold on all current projects... which was never lifted during NIPI's lifetime.


Oh, Hi Gar, didn't see you there... Happy Birthday, old chum.

Frnak

 

[Frank Mentzer]

(duplicate post; slow system. Sorry)

 

[the black knight]

Happy Birthday, Gary!!

May you know many more.

TBK

 

[seskis281]

Above 'twas a mention of Heinlein...

You may not know that Gary and I were going to create the game version of Glory Road. But alas, the dean passed on during the planning, and they put a hold on all current projects... which was never lifted during NIPI's lifetime.

Frnak

Didn't know that. I had the Avalon Hill Starship Troopers game when I was young.

I wanted to write a screenplay based on Stranger in a Stange Land when I was younger and still struggling to work as a writer in Los Angeles, but while Bob was alive he refused to let Hollywood mess up any more of his works after "Destination Moon," and after his death Gini Heinlein and the estate were just a "wee" bit disappointed with what was done to "Starship Troopers."

P.S. An invite to Gary and anyone else here to check out the preview site for my new World Setting -

Ilshara:Lands of Exile

Although I'm designing it as a campaign setting for C&C, the system specifics will pretty much be relegated to general class references (i.e. Male Elf Fighter 3, NG) or a few HD references - I also intend for it to be a good generic (as a system) setting for others like LA, AD&D, etc. I'll be offerring it free when I'm done in the next several weeks.

Cheers!

John Maddog Wright

"Sometimes the difference between life and death is merely the roll of a 20-sided die."

 

[Col_Pladoh]

Mr. Gygax--

long time reader, first time poster. first, praise which you have no doubt heard over the past 30 years about d&D. I was given a copy of the first ed boxed set with the three books, a set of dice, and the KOB adventure, when i hit my 13th birthday. here it is, 25 years later and i am still hooked. in that one moment i was turned into a DND geek forever. (God be praised!) i bought my son, now 14, a basic set for 3rd ed (sorry...) and he now wants to be a dungeon master like his dear old dad. so i've been teaching him every week, letting him run adventures for me and a few of his freinds, and showing him the ropes. he's catching on rather quickly. thanks for a perfect hobby that allows me to bond with my son.

Thank you...and indeed many good things come from participating in the RPG

now, a few questions: i recently bought the C&C rules, and the LA rule book basic boxed set. I have a pretty firm grasp on the rules, but have yet to start a game with my regular group of players. without going into specifice details, are there any good introductory adventures you can suggest for both systems that i could use for beginning characters? i have very little prep time, and would like to send Troll lord games any business i can. i used to run a game store before the vagaries of the economy and a less than principled partner made us close down, so i understand what it is like to run a gaming business. now, i work at least 60 hours a week and have little time to design my own adventures. i am beginning to lose confidence in the 3rd ed d&d rules and wish to find something different that has the same old school feel that i fell in love with 20 years ago.

Both systems have the same spirit as OA/D&D does.

I am not sure about the various C&C game intro modules, but you might take a look at the Castle Zagyg Yggsburgh book for a campaign base with many adventures and hooks therefor included in it.

For an intro to the LA game the Living the legend (sic.) module is the ticket, as it also expands the LA Essentials rules set even as it provides a demi-campaign base and a number of town, outdoor, and undergriound adventures.

Pardon my focusing on my own work, but because of it I don;t have a lot of time to spend analysing the creative efforts of other designers

again, thanks for many happy years in gaming. and if you are ever in the virginia beach area, let me know, you'll not need to get a hotel.

oh by the way, happy birthday!

Welcome of course.

I plan to spend Thursday evening, the anniversary of the day of my birth, playing games

Cheers,
Gary

 

[Col_Pladoh]

Sorry - to clarify, if the Wizards hold the rights to Greyhawk and so using settings and names (as you indicated in the above post about the Valley of the Mage) isn't possible, what made the name "Zagyg" (which is certainly a major part of Greyhawk) different so that you can publish this wonderful new series?

If I'm prying I apologize, just curious because it would be cool to see some of the other Greyhawk material eek into CZ setting.

John

Heh...

In ther settlement agreement all anagrams of or based on my name are my exclusive property, so Zagig and Zagyg, as well as Yrag and the like, are something WotC can not use without my permission.


Gary