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.

 

[Deuce Traveler]

Hey Gary, I just wanted to say that I remember you writing earlier last year about 4e coming out soon. It looks like you were right. Will this have any kind of impact on Lejendary Adventures or Castles and Crusades despite the fact that both systems are quite different from current versions of DnD?

 

[JRR_Talking]

Have not seen the Age of Empires III game,
Cheerio,
Gary

Not a big board game player myself.

I played this a few weeks back for the first time and couldnt believe wot a wonderful game they had produced. Cant recommend it enough*.

John

*not quite as good as the old roleplaying, but an excellent diversion**

As is this post as a nice change to all the 4e discussion!

 

[Moggthegob]

Dear Gary,

In light of 4e being announced I would like to know if a) you had any thoughts
b.) whether or not you think this will e good for c&c/LA,which i recently purchased and I must say I enoyed the uniqueness of each class again.
Also, since it seems as thoguh the wizards of the crap are dropping greyhawk as the default setting if you could somehow get it back.

 

[Deuce Traveler]

Gary will answer better than me, but I wouldn't imagine him wanting to get Greyhawk back since other authors have done too much to it. Can you imagine if I took a scoop of vanilla ice cream and mixed it with a scoop of chocolate, handed it back to you and told you to get the original flavor back?

 

[Thunderfoot]

Gary, saw you at the RAM on Thursday night. You were leaving, otherwise I was getting ready to send you an anonymous drink. I was sitting at the booth directly to your left front with a large party (my players). Didn't want to annoy you like some fan-boy so I didn't approach (besides, you already had a rather large group with you.). BTW, happy belated anniversary.

 

[gideon_thorne]

Gary, saw you at the RAM on Thursday night. You were leaving, otherwise I was getting ready to send you an anonymous drink. I was sitting at the booth directly to your left front with a large party (my players). Didn't want to annoy you like some fan-boy so I didn't approach (besides, you already had a rather large group with you.). BTW, happy belated anniversary.

Should have stopped over and said hello there, squire. That was us Troll Lords with Gary. ^_^

 

[Thunderfoot]

As I said, I hate the fan-boy assumption that someone wants to talk to you, just because you admire something they've done. I've worked in the music industry for some time, a true fan is humble and caring about their 'idols' personal lives, hangers-on are just annoying.

 

[Col_Pladoh]

hi mr gygax!

did you ever used "props" (dont know if this is the right word) in your games, as background music, burned letters, coins or any of this things?

what do ypu think of it?
is it just for begginers?

Howdy!

On rare occasions I use props, either for dramatic effect or else to bring more humor into the session. I vener use music as it is already quite difficult to manage to speak and retain the players' attention.

Props are a part of the style of a Game Master. I can not judge their overall merit without knowing how the GM manages his campaign

Cheers,
Gary

 

[PapersAndPaychecks]

Gary will answer better than me, but I wouldn't imagine him wanting to get Greyhawk back since other authors have done too much to it. Can you imagine if I took a scoop of vanilla ice cream and mixed it with a scoop of chocolate, handed it back to you and told you to get the original flavor back?

Those additions to Greyhawk might look like chocolate, but they certainly don't taste like it!

 

[Col_Pladoh]

Hey Gary, I just wanted to say that I remember you writing earlier last year about 4e coming out soon. It looks like you were right. Will this have any kind of impact on Lejendary Adventures or Castles and Crusades despite the fact that both systems are quite different from current versions of DnD?

And some didn't believe me about the impending release of yet another edition of new D&D

How it will do is unknown, but they are talking about rules-light material--something I have advocated for the past eight or so years now...

I do not think that the new system will not have mich effect on either the LA or C&C game --although it might bring in some disaffected former new D&D game types.

Cheerio,
Gary