TSR Rob Kuntz Recounts The Origins Of D&D

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In this interesting article from Kotaku, Rob Kuntz relates a history of early TSR that differs somewhat from the narrative we usually hear. It delves into the relationship between Gary Gygax and Dave Arneson (D&D's co-creators) and the actual development of the game, which dates back to Arneson in 1971.

Dungeons & Deceptions: The First D&D Players Push Back On The Legend Of Gary Gygax

Everybody calls Rob Kuntz last, he says. Those who want to know about the history of Dungeons & Dragons start with co-creator Gary Gygax’s kids, one of Gygax’s biographers, or D&D publisher Wizards of the Coast. As they’re wrapping things up, they might get around to dialing up Kuntz, a...

kotaku.com

 

[Rob Kuntz]

As a general rule it is far better to use rigorous analysis and make limited claims that are well supported by contemporaneous evidence than to make sweeping claims that are poorly supported under the rubric of "strong scholarship."*

That's why it's frustrating to approach these matters- it's not a lesser route, it's a more difficult one, less prone to grandiosity or use of the word praxis.

*IMO it is rare for serious scholarship to depend on personal observation and anecdote, for the reasons elucidated supra.

Claptrap. Don't apply for a scholarship grant.

 

[Lanefan]

We never thought of using slaves/captives or summoned critters as trap bait

We never used slaves or captives for those purposes but we've always just kind of assumed that trap detection and suicide missions are the entire reason summoning spells exist.

 

[lowkey13]

*Deleted by user*

 

[Rob Kuntz]

We never used slaves or captives for those purposes but we've always just kind of assumed that trap detection and suicide missions are the entire reason summoning spells exist.

Players DMed by Gary or myself quickly learned many, many obtuse methodologies to overcome the unexpected we threw at them.

 

[Rob Kuntz]

shrug

Okay, I mean, you know that "history of RPGs" isn't exactly a huge field, and, to the extent that it is an academic field (?), Jon Peterson (the person you keep attacking for some reason because he uses original documents?) is pretty well-known in the limited field and has spoken at academic symposia on the subject? I guess I'll subscribe to your newsletter.

But I'm just an enthusiast. I get my money in a far more mundane way than scholarship grants.

You are now blatantly trolling me. I have not attacked Peterson, I have fundamentally challenged his methodologies which I consider weak due to lack of comprehensive research regarding what I have already cited.

 

[lowkey13]

*Deleted by user*

 

[Alzrius]

As Robilar, yes, I rolled him on Gary's kitchen table and can even tell you where the name derives from

I'm actually rather curious about that, since the Wikipedia entry makes it sound like Gary Gygax invented the name whole-cloth.

On a related note, I'm also curious about Bilarro, of whom the iron bands are named after. As I recall, the 2007 adventure Expedition to the Ruins of Greyhawk revealed that Bilarro was Robilar's evil (or at least, more evil) twin from Uerth, and had replaced Robilar quite a few years ago; that it was in fact he, not Robilar, who had helped Rary betray the Circle of Eight. All of which is fascinating (since I'm aware that you've long held that Robilar would never have turned on his comrade Mordenkainen like that), but the iron bands that gave us Bilarro's name predate that adventure by a long period of time; was Bilarro always Robilar's evil twin from a parallel dimension, or was that invented for the 2007 Expedition adventure?

 

[Farenn]

No RPG architecture created by Arneson = no RPG game engine. There is one thing in common with every RPG proceeding Arneson's Blackmoor 1971-1972, including D&D: They ALL, every one of them, use Arneson's systems architecture. However, very few outside of D&D use Gary's mechanics. Again, every RPG uses Arneson's ground breaking architecture. Without it there would have been no RPG form, period. Think about it.

I agree with what you are saying which is why I look at BOTH as the father of roleplaying games. The RPG game engine of D&D is fabulous. But I still stand by my original point that it was the game world and its monsters that captured my imagination as a child and held onto it ever since. If it was the D&D engine with one of the game worlds from some of the horrible rpgs of the past it would have never caught my attention. I would have just moved on and stuck to strategy board games.

 

[Sacrosanct]

I will say this: reading Rob’s posts and the sentence structure and style tells me he spent a lot of time around Gary . I don’t mean that in a bad way.

 

[MonsterEnvy]

I'm actually rather curious about that, since the Wikipedia entry makes it sound like Gary Gygax invented the name whole-cloth.

That does not make much sense, he was clearly Rob's character. ROBilar kind of says everything about who played him.

Edit: Did not notice the part in the article where it says that Gary suggested the name.