PHATsakk43
Last Authlim of the True Lord of Tyranny
Well, finding these reprinted snippets by Gary Gygax from A&E has been extremely fun to read through. I think it also sheds a good bit of light on what we've all been discussing in these past few pages (I plan to get another 'chapter' of Brozer out in the next day or so).
Another one I found that I'm going to dump mostly in full as it provides a significant amount of context to everything talked about, from early OD&D not being particularly clear in some areas, Gygax's opinions regarding house rules, and some other just plain interesting insights. The following is from A&E #2 printed July 1975:
If you want to see more of this sort, take a gander over here at Jason Zavoda's Blogspot "Hall of the Mountain King". As someone who was "raised" or rather provided DNA by two people who were both deeply into drugs in the 1970s and 1980s (my mom actually died smoking crack on Christmas Eve 2008, my father is somehow still alive, I think) my impression about Gary's attitudinal changes from 78-79 until his downfall in the Sherridan Springs Massacre can be summed up by the late Rick James, "cocaine is a helluva drug."
Another one I found that I'm going to dump mostly in full as it provides a significant amount of context to everything talked about, from early OD&D not being particularly clear in some areas, Gygax's opinions regarding house rules, and some other just plain interesting insights. The following is from A&E #2 printed July 1975:
There seems to be considerable confusion amongst your contributors -- particularly those who tend to be in a flap about incomplete or unpalatable solutions (to them) of D&D rules/questions/problems. The game is complex and complicated. When it was released, it was by no means in a final (or even polished) form, but were we to sit on it for another few years in order to get it that way? Can a broad fantasy game ever be finished? Of course we could not hold off publication, for it was too much fun to keep from others. (well, I suppose this settles that even Gary Gygax realized that OD&D was far from perfect and had issues with clarity)
Dave and I disagree on how to handle any number of things, and both of our campaigns differ from the "rules" found in D&D. If the time ever comes when all aspects of fantasy are covered and the vast majority of its players agree on how the game should be played, D&D will have become staid and boring indeed. Sorry, but I don't believe that there is anything desirable in having various campaigns playing similarly to one another. (while I don't think this invalidates the BrOSR tenant of being hardcore R.A.W., it does suggest that it was not in some way "how it was done" either) D&D is supposed to offer a challenge to the imagination and to do so in many ways. Perhaps the most important is in regard to what the probabilities of a given situation are. If players know what all of the monster parameters are, what can be expected in a given situation, exactly what will happen to them if they perform thus and so, most of the charm of the game is gone. Frankly, the reason I enjoy playing in Dave Arneson's campaign is that I do not know his treatments of monsters and suchlike, so I must keep thinking and reasoning in order to "survive". Now, for example, if I made a proclamation from on high which suited Mr. Johnstone, it would certainly be quite unacceptable to hundreds or even thousands of other players. My answer is, and has always been, if you don't like the way I do it, change the bloody rules to suit yourself and your players. D&D enthusiasts are far too individualistic and imaginative a bunch to be in agreement, and I certainly refuse to play god for them -- except as a referee in my own campaign where they jolly well better toe the mark. Let us consider the magic-user question.
We allow magic-users to employ the number of spells shown on the table, so a 1st level m-u gets exactly one 1st level spell to use once before he must go back to his books and prepare to use the spell once again -- or a spell once again. To allow unlimited use of the spell is to make the m-u's too powerful. There is a better solution, of course; one I have been aware of since the first. That is to utilize a point system based on the m-u's basic abilities and his or her level. Spell cost is then taken as a function of the spell and the circumstances in which it is cast and possibly how much force is put into the spell. All that would have required a great deal of space and been far more complex to handle, so I opted for the simple solution.
Again, as a case in point, Ted Johnstone says I have trouble telling which rules are so completely obvious that he doesn't need to explain them. That, dear friends, is a statement which could only be made by someone who has never authored a set of rules or a game! Many of the rules which are completely obvious to me are totally obscure to others. I can say in complete truthfulness that I have had to explain each and every section of the rules to some players, either in person or by letter.
I desire variance in interpretation and, as long as I am editor of the TSR line and its magazine, I will do my utmost to see that there is as little trend towards standardization as possible (Gygax backed away from this sentiment by the end of the decade). Each campaign should be a "variant", and there is no "official interpretation" from me or anyone else. If a game of "Dungeons and Beavers" suits a group, all I say is more power to them, for every fine referee runs his own variant of D&D anyway.
I recall that I told Bob Sacks that in Greyhawk we do not have existing religions included, for this is a touchy area. We have such groups as "The Church of the Latter Day Great Old Ones," Church of Crom, Scientist", "Brethren of St. Cuthbert of the Cudgle", and so on. Gods sometimes intervene. There are some artifacts and the like which aid clerics. In general, however, clerics are powerful enough without much aid, for they have quite a few advantages and work up very quickly. Fighters are really the ones whom everyone should be irate about, for they have the hardest time of it, if not backed up by other classes or by lots of other fighters or blessed with the most powerful of magic gear (not particularly relevant to BrOSR, but even by the time the Greyhawk supplement was released, fighters have been getting screwed at higher levels).
How does one use gunpowder weapons in the confined spaces of the dungeon? What happens to ears? Blackmoor has some gunpowder usage but the filthy stuff won't work in Greyhawk's world.
By the way, a score of 18 is only the usual top limit for humans in Greyhawk. We have monsters with intelligence scores well over 18, and one player is about to work out a deal which will jump his to not less than 19.
Please inform Ted that I too subscribe to the slogan "D&D is too important to leave to Gary Gygax." Gosh and golly! Whoever said anything else. However, pal, best remember that it is far too good to leave to you or any other individual or little group either! It now belongs to the thousands of players enjoying it worldwide, most of whom will probably never hear of you or your opinions unless you get them into THE STRATEGIC REVIEW. As soon as we can manage it, we intend to have expand SR, publish bimonthly and include a letter column (well, this is, to some degree almost a permission slip for all of us to enjoy the game as we see fit).
Thanks again for sending A&E. It was most enjoyable. Watch out though, that it doesn't start D&D down the road of DIPLOMACY fandom with its constant feuds, bickering, invective, etc (I may need to send this bit over to Jeffro & Co). Now tell the fellows to pick on Dave Arneson awhile -- after all he had as much to do with the whole mess as I did!
Regards, E. Gary Gygax
If you want to see more of this sort, take a gander over here at Jason Zavoda's Blogspot "Hall of the Mountain King". As someone who was "raised" or rather provided DNA by two people who were both deeply into drugs in the 1970s and 1980s (my mom actually died smoking crack on Christmas Eve 2008, my father is somehow still alive, I think) my impression about Gary's attitudinal changes from 78-79 until his downfall in the Sherridan Springs Massacre can be summed up by the late Rick James, "cocaine is a helluva drug."
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