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.

 

[Nikosandros]

Good visual.

The positive side of violet fungi is that it eats only flesh--including leather--but leaves vegetable and mineral matter untouched. Of course a small amount of the stuff might remain in the pile of "leftovers"...

So, would it destroy leather armor upon touching it? Would it then spread to the unfortunate wearer?

 

[Col_Pladoh]

Err ... the positive side? Thieves, wizards, etc. in big trouble....

The only time I ever remember encountering a violet fungi was in A4 ... and everyone was dressed in loin cloths only. Needless to say, we just walked away from the encounter and went elsewhere.

If PCs of any sort can do as your group did, then there is no problem whatsoever with violet fungi--unless it is growing atop a heap of magic items and huge gemstones...and greed is actile

Cheers,
Gary

 

[Col_Pladoh]

Yeah, but if I saw the guy next to me turn into a pile of rot right before my eyes, there is NO WAY I would dig through his remains to get his magic ring or dagger... maybe if I had a biohazard suit, a pair of tongs, several pairs of rubber gloves, a sterile shower and a cleric with the appropriate spells prepped standing by as well as about 400 gallons anti-bacterial solution --- maybe then... otherwise --- brrrrrrr! No way!

I'd pay my last respects from a distance -- perhaps using a flask of lamp oil and a torch to send his remains into the afterworld...

It is evident you have not played Metamorphosis Alpha a lot. The fungi there regularly turn characters into mush, and the crystals are worse Last Thursday vile wolfoids masquerading as medicos devoured one of our mutant human characters before our very eyes

More than one of those monsters died for doing that, and the Vigilists are far from being through exacting reveng for such behavior

Cheers,
Gary

 

[Col_Pladoh]

So, would it destroy leather armor upon touching it? Would it then spread to the unfortunate wearer?

Excellent question!

That situation is not covered. As the DM I would allow a second roll to save against poison, and it it was successful I would rule that the violet fungi dropped off after devouring the leather armor, so the wearer was safe but armorless. It it were magical armor, I'd give a plus to the saving throw for each plus of the armor.

Who says that I am a killer DM?

Cheers,
Gary

 

[Nikosandros]

Who says that I am a killer DM?

Indeed you're far too lenient...

P.S.
Just kidding... I agree on the second save.

 

[Col_Pladoh]

Indeed you're far too lenient...

P.S.
Just kidding... I agree on the second save.

As a matter of fact I really hate to see players that are doing things well, thinking, having their PCs interact as a group, with the environment, lost their characters because of bad luck, sheer chance. I will do my best as the DM to see that does not happen, save to a PC that is better off eliminated, a new and better one then created to take his place. That is rare...

Cheers,
Gary

 

[Geoffrey]

Gary, in the artifacts and relics section of your DMG, you mention several evocative names of various locations. A few of them I recognize out of mythology, but many of them leave me scratching my head. Did you make these up, or did you take them from mythology and/or weird fiction? If it's not too much trouble, would you be able to tell me the sources for these?

the Well of Time
the Earth Wound
Adonais' Deep (Shelley's Adonais, stanza III?)
the Spring of Eternity
Marion's Trench (Is this the Mariana Trench?)
the Living Stone
Mountain of Thunder
the Tree of the Universe (Is this Yggdrasil?)
the Cornerstone of the World
Artur's Dolmen
the Juggernaut of the Endless Labyrinth
the Ray of Eternal Shrinking
the Well of Life (Is this the Fountain of Youth?)
the River of Flame

 

[Col_Pladoh]

Gary, in the artifacts and relics section of your DMG, you mention several evocative names of various locations. A few of them I recognize out of mythology, but many of them leave me scratching my head. Did you make these up, or did you take them from mythology and/or weird fiction? If it's not too much trouble, would you be able to tell me the sources for these?

the Well of Time
the Earth Wound
Adonais' Deep (Shelley's Adonais, stanza III?)
the Spring of Eternity
Marion's Trench (Is this the Mariana Trench?)
the Living Stone
Mountain of Thunder
the Tree of the Universe (Is this Yggdrasil?)
the Cornerstone of the World
Artur's Dolmen
the Juggernaut of the Endless Labyrinth
the Ray of Eternal Shrinking
the Well of Life (Is this the Fountain of Youth?)
the River of Flame

Short answer here

I made them up, although a few were inspired by things I had read, such as Yggdrasil being the model for the Tree of Universe. To be specific would have chained DMs to my thinking. As writtem this empowers DMs to have those locations be where, and possibly what, best suits their campaign.

Now it is cocktail time

Cheers,
Gary

 

[Geoffrey]

Short answer here

I made them up, although a few were inspired by things I had read, such as Yggdrasil being the model for the Tree of Universe. To be specific would have chained DMs to my thinking. As writtem this empowers DMs to have those locations be where, and possibly what, best suits their campaign.

Now it is cocktail time

Cheers,
Gary

I'm glad you just made them up, otherwise my knowledge of mythology and weird literature would have been less than I think it is.

I give you a lot of credit, Gary, for being able to think of evocative names that by themselves spur one's imagination. I especially like the names of the powerful magic items you mention as being held by the various countries in your Epic of Aerth.

 

[LcKedovan]

Now it is cocktail time

Q: What cocktail?

heheh.

-Will