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.

 

[Prince of Happiness]

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

Mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm, split pea & hand hocks.

 

[Col_Pladoh]

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?

It is absurd for a player to be upset of a pre-generated or just-created PC is lost in a tournament adventure.

If it is that person's longest-lived PC, then it should not be risked, or some provision for return made before agreeing to play is.

Munchkins do relate far too closely with their usually-over-powered PCs, but that is generally forgivable because they are immature youngsters. A mature persin what has a munchkin mentality is actually to be pitied...although iffing their PC might bring a dark delight to the GM.

In all cases I urge gamers to have many PCs, and remember at all times they are just make-believe personas. This typically falls upon deaf ears if the one being lectured is immature.

Cheerio,
Gary

 

[Col_Pladoh]

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.

That would be a sure total elimination of that critter, but getting all the way back to the entrance passage is a more risky matter than a tap of a sceptre in the lair

Cheers,
Gary

 

[Mycanid]

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 and eat several slices of mushroom

Cheers,
Gary

Sir ... you are a man after my own heart.

Very well ... I will periodically post on my findings. You are one of the few herein EW who share this interest with me, and it tickles me that I should have this in common with you!

Okay ... later this week it will be a search in the chanterelle patches!

Ohhh ... a-hunting we will go
a-hunting we will go
hey ho the derry-o
a-hunting we will go!

 

[Col_Pladoh]

...

Okay ... later this week it will be a search in the chanterelle patches!

Ohhh ... a-hunting we will go
a-hunting we will go
hey ho the derry-o
a-hunting we will go!

Ah, chanterelles!

I believe I can recall my grandparents speaking of how delicious they were, how difficult to find in Southeastern Wisconsin. They are little, are then not?

Anyway, when i lived in a place on the lakeshore here the shaggy manes grew right next to the building, so I'd run down with a basket, pick all of them there, and run back upstairs. Gail would have the frying pan hot, the butter melted by then, and after a quick rinse in cld water, in they would go.

Cheerio,
Gary

 

[Mycanid]

Chanterelles can grow to be sizable honkers, let me tell you. And they ARE delicious. All this talk of butter fried chanterelles has got me hungry now. :\

 

[Prince of Happiness]

Mmmmm! I'll have to dig up my recipe for cream of chanterelle soup. They grow pretty well up here.

Puffballs too. Morels? Don't know. Woodears, maybe. I hear you can eat young shelf mushrooms as well.

 

[Mycanid]

'Tis true sir, 'tis true. But only some of the shelf mushrooms. The most famous is the sulpher shelf, or the "chicken o' the woods". They grow all over the place where I am. I once found a 26lb one in the woods nearby. I was eating it for days.... And yes, I have heard that the NW is an EXCELLENT place for mushroom gathering too.

Anyhoo ...

I tell you Gary, I am wishing I could come to the troll lords con more and more. Doesn't look like I will be able to. I may be visiting some friends in far off northern Maine. We'll see.... How I would LOVE to though.

Maybe some day.

 

[thedungeondelver]

I once found a 26lb one in the woods nearby. I was eating it for days.... And yes, I have heard that the NW is an EXCELLENT place for mushroom gathering too.

Twenty six pounds! That's no trufling thing!

 

[thedungeondelver]

Mushroom puns aside, Gary, here's something I always wondered: Did you or do you feel happy about the way people embraced the drow as a player race, all considerations of Mr. Salvatore's creation aside?