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]

G'Day Haakon1

The military of the Citadel was extensive and included a lot of Western horse archers. As I haven't had opportunity to play on such a scale for amny years, I would assume that the number of troops has shrunk considerably--attrition, settling down to civilian occupations, or leaving for active service elsewhere.

If the appeallants convinced Mordenkainen and his seven fellows that the attack upon their lands was a danger to the stability of the region, he would likely have agreed to assist against the invaders. Of course the cost of feeding the army from the Obsidian Citadel would have been rather onerous on the lands they traveled through, and some looting and pillaging would have occurred by an army of some 10,000 cavalry and such infantry as were deemed necessary...

Cheers,
Gary

 

[haakon1]

G'Day Haakon1

The military of the Citadel was extensive and included a lot of Western horse archers. As I haven't had opportunity to play on such a scale for amny years, I would assume that the number of troops has shrunk considerably--attrition, settling down to civilian occupations, or leaving for active service elsewhere.

If the appeallants convinced Mordenkainen and his seven fellows that the attack upon their lands was a danger to the stability of the region, he would likely have agreed to assist against the invaders. Of course the cost of feeding the army from the Obsidian Citadel would have been rather onerous on the lands they traveled through, and some looting and pillaging would have occurred by an army of some 10,000 cavalry and such infantry as were deemed necessary...

Cheers,
Gary

10000 troops? Wow-za! That'd win the war right quick, in my campaign. I'll have to find a way to work this into the game. Luckily, the high level characters only play once a year or so (players from 3 states have to get together), so there's plenty of time to cogitate.

 

[haakon1]

Stupid, lazy question . . . who played Tenser?

I'm remembering an adventure by Roger Moore, where the PC's went to Tenser's castle on the Nyr Dyv. Fun stuff.

 

[oldschooler]

Howdy Gary, hope life is still swell so far and your gaming is more fun than ever!
In looking at your spots in old issues of The Dragon (c. '75+), you've always held that there should be two D&Ds: the newer "Law Schick" AD&D rules for tornament and comparitive play, and the original game as a toy for the "inner game designer" in all of us to tinker with.
Lately however, I've read you saying AD&D should replace OD&D, in such that the original rules should always give way to the newer Advanced rules by matter of fact (seeing your above conciderations on Magic Missile and Holy Vorpal Swords).
You've also stated before that both games are completely different from each other and maybe can't be compared anyway.
Today's difficult question: How do you currently see the roles of the original Dungeons & Dragons game along side the original Advanced Dungeons & Dragons game? Bonus question: When playing either of these games these days, does one see more play than the other?

 

[Col_Pladoh]

10000 troops? Wow-za! That'd win the war right quick, in my campaign. I'll have to find a way to work this into the game. Luckily, the high level characters only play once a year or so (players from 3 states have to get together), so there's plenty of time to cogitate.

Moprdenkainen started out with hired men-at-arms and mounted serjeants. As we encountered and defeated bandits and their ilk, we enlisted willing volunteers. When we ran int nomads and slew all their leaders, the rest threw in their lot and joined our company--more like a division by that time.

Keeping thelot of them fed and in loot was a real challenge, and to balance the bad we made sure to wipe out all the evil we came across so as to remain neutral.

Cheers,
Gary

 

[Col_Pladoh]

Stupid, lazy question . . . who played Tenser?

I'm remembering an adventure by Roger Moore, where the PC's went to Tenser's castle on the Nyr Dyv. Fun stuff.

Heh,

Tenser was played by my son, Ernest, "Ernie the Barbarian" in an earlier incarnation. Ernie also player Serten, Eran, and the dark and malign Erac's Cousin.

Cheers,
Gary

 

[Col_Pladoh]

Howdy Gary, hope life is still swell so far and your gaming is more fun than ever!

Bah! I played a big railroad boardgame, a sort of 18XX-type, with Ernie, Tom Wham, and Russ Ingram yesterday afternoon...and I came in dead last by about seven victory points. It was fun, though, nonetheless

In looking at your spots in old issues of The Dragon (c. '75+), you've always held that there should be two D&Ds: the newer "Law Schick" AD&D rules for tornament and comparitive play, and the original game as a toy for the "inner game designer" in all of us to tinker with.

I have no quarrel with that at all!

Lately however, I've read you saying AD&D should replace OD&D, in such that the original rules should always give way to the newer Advanced rules by matter of fact (seeing your above conciderations on Magic Missile and Holy Vorpal Swords).
You've also stated before that both games are completely different from each other and maybe can't be compared anyway.

Actually, I was speaking only for myself, not urging anything on others. When I play OD&D I lay the oldest version with only a few house rulkes changes to make the new PCs more viable.

When I play OAD&D, I use those rules, and no mix of D&D in them.

They are different games, play differently, and only adventures from each can be compared IMO.

Today's difficult question: How do you currently see the roles of the original Dungeons & Dragons game along side the original Advanced Dungeons & Dragons game?

I see then as separate games to amuse and entertain those persons who most enjoy them as vehicles for RPG fun. I do not view either as "superior" or "inferior," and now and then play both as noted, although I really prefer the Lejendary Adventure system to Gm and to play.

Bonus question: When playing either of these games these days, does one see more play than the other?

For a quick dungeon crawl I like to use OD&D. For something more detailed go to OAD&D, and more recently the C&C game.

When I am really up for gaming, though, I break out my LA system material...or beg Jim Ward to GM his Metamorphosis Alpha game

Cheers,
Gary

 

[oldschooler]

Thanks for the quick and insightful reply. I wish I lived in Lake Geneva, you'd have a hard time keeping me away Thursday nights!

 

[Col_Pladoh]

Thanks for the quick and insightful reply. I wish I lived in Lake Geneva, you'd have a hard time keeping me away Thursday nights!

You'd be welcome, but that would be a bit of a drive, eh? And this Monday morning we are playing boardgames at Enie's house--h is working on Wednesday, so we had to switch day and time. Tom Wham seems to have a near inexhaustable supply of new and different ones for us to have a go at

Cheers,
Gary

 

[Edena_of_Neith]

Edena_of_Neith here. Hey there, Gary.
I created a nation that was a confederation of lawful evil races, and called them the Solistarim. I set them in Greyhawk in the Black Ice region (which I remained the Godspires and enlarged geographically.)

How these lawful evil races cooperated is not relevant here: it is only important that they did cooperate, and they cooperated very closely.

The intelligent, hard working, and capable lawful evil races are not all known to me! I wondered if you had any picks for such races?
I mean, I had the illithid. We know they were lawful evil. We had the nibelungen (the spell casting dark dwarves) and the derro. We had the grey gnomes. We had an order of evil human mages.
I threw in the sahuagin (it seemed to me the sahuagin were the greatest of the lawful evil sea races), the lizard kings and their lizard men servitors, the fire giants and their friends the salamanders, some of the beholders (some, because even the mighty Solistarim could only bring some beholders under their sway), the kobolds (alone of the humanoid races), and some of the dragons (those willingly allied, and those subdued.)
I threw in the devils, conjured to aid the Solistarim. I threw in liches and servitor undead. I even threw in the efreet, come from the City of Brass to lend their support. I called on the githyanki, as an astral race supportive of the alliance, since they seemed fairly organized under their lichqueen.

But I feel something is missing in my concoction. I have missed some of the best lawful evil races. Do you know any that might fit well within the Solistarim (as in, being organized, intelligent, diligent, and with enough common sense to know to obey their superiors rather than just dying pointlessly.)
What juicy lawful evil races have I missed?

Note that NO drow (much less elves) were welcome, nor were demons or daemons, nor were ANY OTHER humanoid races other than kobolds. (Thus, the Solistarim were enemies of Iuz as well as Furyondy, Veluna, and the other nations.)
No lawful neutral races (such as the modrons) of any sort were welcome. Exceptions were made for neutral evil races, if they strictly obeyed orders (and means were taken to ensure strict obedience.)

But my concoction, as I said, is incomplete. I ask your help. You created the Monster Manual, Monster Manual II, and many other monster books. What neat lawful evil (and possibly neutral evil) races have I missed?

Yours Sincerely
Edena_of_Neith