Ralif Redhammer
Legend
Yeah, if you look at the adventures of that era, compared to modern adventures there's way more magic items and treasure being parceled out. As much as I I dig the OSR, there are a ton of assumptions of how things were "back in the day" that just aren't supported by how things were back then (I have a theory that some of those tropes are instead developed out of memories of inexperienced, young DMs and players, rather than how things were actually done, but that's a different conversation). If you compare the treasure given out in the shorter Glacial Rift of the Frost Jarl, it's probably comparable to one of the entire campaign-length modules of 5e.
I'd concur (on Gygax's decreasing relevance - I'd gladly play 1e again over poking myself in the eye), alas. I suspect it would be different had Gail Gygax not closed down all current product lines in production and done nothing with Gary's IP in the years that followed.
Why do most people assume that GH is low magic? It was in Greyhawk that rangers had access to both wizard and druidic spells. It was in Greyhawk that the paladins had the most magical powers. At first level they were constantly under the effect of protection from evil.
I'd concur (on Gygax's decreasing relevance - I'd gladly play 1e again over poking myself in the eye), alas. I suspect it would be different had Gail Gygax not closed down all current product lines in production and done nothing with Gary's IP in the years that followed.
While I respect Gary Gygax as one of the foundational pillars of our little hobby, I don't believe he's all that relevant to most D&D players today save as a historical curiosity. What exactly does Gygax mean to most D&D players today? His involvement in shaping the game ended in 1985 before most of them were even born, they don't use any of the rules Gygax created, the don't play the game the same as it was played in 1982, and when seeking advice on how to run a game they're not going to turn to Gygax's writings for advice. I have fond memories of Gygax's work, but I would sooner poke myself in the eye before I'd run a game using AD&D 1st edition.