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]

...

Anyhoo ... sorry for the OT stuff.

Back to the thread, hey what?

Wild mushrooms are never off topic here

My grandfather could tell a death angel from the rest, but not I. About all I can do is pick and sautee in say five minutes the shaggy manes, or otherwise gather morels (very hard to find) and puffballs (plentiful hereabouts in the early autumn). A slice of fried puffball topping a burger is great--or just forget the burger and bun anbd eat several slices of mushroom

Cheers,
Gary

 

[Col_Pladoh]

Heyo, Gary!

I'd emailed you a few weeks back about running S1 TOMB OF HORRORS at a con and I thought for your amusement (and that of the enworlders) here I'd fill in on the salient points:

...

Thanks for sharing that accounnt. As a matter of fact the party did pretty well for a first-time group, all things considered. I do hope that you will allow them to return with veteran and new PCs to fill their ranks and have a second go at it. By the time a fourth or fifth expedition is mounted they mighgt actually make it to the demi-lich's "resting place"

Cheerio,
Gary

 

[thedungeondelver]

Thanks for sharing that accounnt. As a matter of fact the party did pretty well for a first-time group, all things considered. I do hope that you will allow them to return with veteran and new PCs to fill their ranks and have a second go at it. By the time a fourth or fifth expedition is mounted they mighgt actually make it to the demi-lich's "resting place"

Cheerio,
Gary

Sadly, as this was a convention it was a one-shot deal. I'll put it to the participants at the next con (I know many of them by sight) and see if they want another crack at it. The demoness was a bit over the top but my thinking was "Hey, if you're gonna break into a guy's house and then try to crash in his den, he's gonna sic the dog on you!"

 

[Col_Pladoh]

Sadly, as this was a convention it was a one-shot deal. I'll put it to the participants at the next con (I know many of them by sight) and see if they want another crack at it. The demoness was a bit over the top but my thinking was "Hey, if you're gonna break into a guy's house and then try to crash in his den, he's gonna sic the dog on you!"

Oh yah! I forgot you said it was a con adventue. Those are quite different, and offing PCs is de rigeur for most participants. Otherwise they seem to feel they didn't receive the GMs full attention

Offering a return try is a good idea if the players are ablt to schedule same. Alsom having a potent guard type in such an area is quite logical IMO.

Cheerio,
Gary

 

[JRRNeiklot]

Heh, when I went through the TOMB as a 13 year old, one character went through the idol, and disappeared. The others, thinking it must be a portal, willingly jumped in after. Game over.

the second time we tried, the dm giving us the chance to play the exact same characters in an "alternate universe." We made it all the way to Acererak (with a fallen paladin, an elven female exploring her new body, and a naked dwarf (shudder)). We all died horribly, or rather had our souls sucked. Hmmm. Perhaps it's time to send a party in to rescue those brave heroes, I still have those 25 year old goldenrod character sheets around here somewhere....

 

[Col_Pladoh]

Heh, when I went through the TOMB as a 13 year old, one character went through the idol, and disappeared. The others, thinking it must be a portal, willingly jumped in after. Game over.

the second time we tried, the dm giving us the chance to play the exact same characters in an "alternate universe." We made it all the way to Acererak (with a fallen paladin, an elven female exploring her new body, and a naked dwarf (shudder)). We all died horribly, or rather had our souls sucked. Hmmm. Perhaps it's time to send a party in to rescue those brave heroes, I still have those 25 year old goldenrod character sheets around here somewhere....

That is a fine story. Most of my players' PCs didn't make it to the tomb area, but Rob Kuntz managed that and didn't engage in a fight with Acererak, just scooped up as mych loot as a single swipe would garner and ran off.

The best group managing the adventure that I know of was the tournament team that used the crown atof the demi-lich's skull, a touch of the wrong end of the scepter to utterly destroy it.

Cheers,
Gary

 

[jgbrowning]

Gary, I know you're *uhum* no big fan of the Conan movie, but what's your opinion about the soundtrack. I was just listening to it and wondered if you'd heard it before.

And, btw, thanks for making up this crazy hobby to begin with...

joe b.

 

[tylerthehobo]

Oh yah! I forgot you said it was a con adventue. Those are quite different, and offing PCs is de rigeur for most participants. Otherwise they seem to feel they didn't receive the GMs full attention

Offering a return try is a good idea if the players are ablt to schedule same. Alsom having a potent guard type in such an area is quite logical IMO.

Cheerio,
Gary

Curious about your take on con-meltdowns by players who get upset about their characters dying. Has that always been a mainstay, or do you attribute it more to the recent edition and peoples' obsession over their characters, attributes, munchkining? Or am I not putting enough words in your mouth?

 

[dcas]

The best group managing the adventure that I know of was the tournament team that used the crown atof the demi-lich's skull, a touch of the wrong end of the scepter to utterly destroy it.

I thought I had read of a group who snatched the skull in a bag of holding and then threw it into the idol's mouth.

 

[Col_Pladoh]

Gary, I know you're *uhum* no big fan of the Conan movie, but what's your opinion about the soundtrack. I was just listening to it and wondered if you'd heard it before.

And, btw, thanks for making up this crazy hobby to begin with...

joe b.

I have not heard the soundtrack as a separate presentation, but it was quite acceptible to me with the film...better that the film if you will...except where it backed up Thulsa Dum and the Flower Children with their pot of split pea and hand soup

Cheerio,
Gary