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]

Because they were your friends? And its always a splendid tribute to remember ones friends kindly. ^_^

Yes, I do remember them with fondness. It is hard to believe that both dies so relatively young.

Cheers,
Gary

 

[Voadam]

Kerry B and I are now exchanging email messages in regards a revision of the completed story and a springboard for a new yarn. A full novel about Gord is a poser, for his life is pretty well covered in the seven existing books. Perhaps a grand adventure by young Gord--that is in his late teens or early 20s--might be possible. Otherwise, a post-destruction epic can be done, one where a parallel Oerth exists, but that might infringe on WotC copyrights of the WoG setting.

Cheers,
Gary

I'm sure there are also plenty of opportunities for Gord to enter demiplanes or such at various points in his career, planes where time does not pass the same and creatures within do not age.

There is, after all, a literary tradition of people entering timeless fey domains for long periods of time only to emerge and find that only a night has passed.

 

[dcas]

Obviously Gord should be teleported to Lejendary Earth.

 

[FATDRAGONGAMES]

Why Why thank you!

His spirit is alive and flourishing right here in the USA today


Gary

Sad, but true. I fear the damage will be far worse this time around.

 

[Gray Mouser]

The primary appeal of the Druid class from a creative standpoint is that the Romans were so thorough in destroying them and their religion that we know virtually nothing about either

Cheers,
Gary

Hmmm, I thought polytheists and pantheists were supposed to be more accepting of diversity than monotheists. Yet another shattered presumption!



BTW, wasn't there at one point a Part XIII to this Q&A thread? What everhappened to old number 13? Is it now defunct?

Gray Mouser

 

[HeavenShallBurn]

Hmmm, I thought polytheists and pantheists were supposed to be more accepting of diversity than monotheists. Yet another shattered presumption!

Generally only in so far as doing so didn't harm them. The druids weren't just priests they were the group responsible for holding the collective cultural history and commanded great political power within Celtic society. When Rome began moving into the lands of the Gauls and Celts they found that resistance centered around the Druids. Thus as they advanced they made sure to wipe out any remaining pieces of the religion that would affect their ability to rule the newly conquered territories or provide the nucleus of future unrest and rebellion.

While Romans did have a generally permissive air as to gods individuals worshipped it was always in relation to Rome as a state. They would incorporate foreign gods, mix religious aspects of ceremonies and theology, but only in so far as it didn't threaten their ability to enforce rule over the population. And the traditional gods were always emphasized in their civil aspects to create an atmosphere that encouraged civic behavior and unity. Note the reason that under certain Emperors Christianity tended to be persecuted was less the worship of a different god and more in the refusal to honor the divine entities of the Roman pantheon and traditions in their civic aspect which caused widespread suspicion as to their loyalty to the Roman state.

That's really probably as far as I can go without moving beyond historic issues into purely religious ones that aren't really for these boards.

By the way Col_Playdoh found a trade paperback omnibus of older Gord books in the used bookstore and must say you write a helluva story.

 

[Hypersmurf]

*nod* The art (or pieces of it, at any rate) were re-used by TSR in several products, most notably as the art for more Spellfire card game cards than you might think possible (Gord was used as an image of a hero, the chariot for a spell, the green dragon as a monster card, unknown dragon rider/Robliar? was enlarged and used as another champion, etc. - I think 7 or 8 cards were illustrated from that 1 painting). The same was done to the cover art of Artifact of Evil (most notably, the blue glow around the Cataboligne demon was used as the illustration for a faerie fire spell card, IIRC).

Wait, what? There was no chariot, no dragon, and no dragon-rider on the cover of Saga of Old City! And there was no Cataboligne and no blue glow on the cover of Artifact of Evil!

I'm looking at my copy of Saga of Old City right now, and nary a chariot nor a dragon to be seen - it's Gord facing off against a blue-glowy Cataboligne!

-Hyp.

 

[Gray Mouser]

Generally only in so far as doing so didn't harm them. The druids weren't just priests they were the group responsible for holding the collective cultural history and commanded great political power within Celtic society. When Rome began moving into the lands of the Gauls and Celts they found that resistance centered around the Druids. Thus as they advanced they made sure to wipe out any remaining pieces of the religion that would affect their ability to rule the newly conquered territories or provide the nucleus of future unrest and rebellion.

While Romans did have a generally permissive air as to gods individuals worshipped it was always in relation to Rome as a state. They would incorporate foreign gods, mix religious aspects of ceremonies and theology, but only in so far as it didn't threaten their ability to enforce rule over the population. And the traditional gods were always emphasized in their civil aspects to create an atmosphere that encouraged civic behavior and unity. Note the reason that under certain Emperors Christianity tended to be persecuted was less the worship of a different god and more in the refusal to honor the divine entities of the Roman pantheon and traditions in their civic aspect which caused widespread suspicion as to their loyalty to the Roman state.

That's really probably as far as I can go without moving beyond historic issues into purely religious ones that aren't really for these boards.

Why, I do believe you missed the winking emoticon in my post Actually, in my field I have to be extremely conversant with histrical-religious information.

Of course, for a more modern example I could've just mentioned the continuing Hindu attacks on Christians in India.

Gray Mouser

 

[Gray Mouser]

Anyway, to kind of get back on toic, does anyone remember a Part XIII to this Q&A thread? What happened to it?

Gray Mouser

 

[mordelack]

Well, I know a lot of us are looking forward to more Gord. Good luck with it, Gary. I hope we see more Gord not just in novel form but also shorter pieces in Dragon and such.

More Gord is on the way as soon as Gary checks his email and reads a revised version it!

Then once he works a bit more of his magic on the yarn a printed version might soon follow.

A new Gord novel? I would be extremely willing that embark down that road. Gary and I would just have to come up with a good springboard for it first and find a willing publisher.

Perhaps Gord vs. Drizzt in Act I, Gord vs. Raistlin in Act II, and Gord vs. Elminster in Act III?
Just kidding! Seriously, just kidding. No really, I mean it, it was only a joke, no such book will come to light.

K.R.Bourgoine