Gaming with Gygax

[Herobizkit]

Pardon my ignorance, but what's a "Poxy" Elf?

 

[Rel]

Pardon my ignorance, but what's a "Poxy" Elf?

Poxy is an addendum that can be added to any Elf's name to make it funnier.

 

[Piratecat]

Poxy: worthless and contemptible; very distasteful. From chickenpox or smallpox.

But in truth, it's just trying to live up to the example set by Ycorl Rixie and Gleep Wurp the Eyebiter.

 

[SavageRobby]

That was a fantastic story. Glad you guys had fun (well earned!), and thank you for sharing your fun with the jealous masses.

 

[Erik Mona]

Thank you so much for this story. Truly remarkable. Gary Gygax is a treasure.

I had the honor to sit next to Gary for about an hour and a half on Friday as he signed copies of his new Planet Stories novel, The Anubis Murders. Pretty much the whole time, gamers approached him to thank him for changing their lives for the better. People talked about how they met their wife because of Dungeons & Dragons, how it helped them to read and imagine as children, and how the game brought them to some of their best friends.

It was amazing. Everyone had a story, and everyone was humbled to get the chance to shake his hand. Gary was gracious as could be, happy to share a story about Dave Trampier painting himself onto every face of the 1e Player's Handbook (except for the guy in the middle on the back cover, who is Gary himself!). Happy to listen to stories about favorite characters or campaigns.

Not happy, as it happens, to sign Daigle's , but I suppose every man has his limits.

The best moment by far was, an hour into this parade of happiness and humility, a guy comes up and looks over our Planet Stories line. "Would you like to have a book autographed by Mr. Gygax?" I asked.

The guy looks at the book, looks at Gary blankly, and says "I'm not familiar with your work. I'll have to look it up."

Gary crumples his face a little bit and, with a gruff chuckle, says "Try DUNGEONS & DRAGONS!"

Nimrod flashes a defeated look and slinks off into the crowd, his eyes on the floor where they belong.

So many amazing things happened at this Gen Con that I've already forgotten half of them. But I'll remember that hour and a half with Gary Gygax for the rest of my life.

--Erik Mona

 

[T. Foster]

OK, enough mushy stuff -- let's get down to serious business: I want to know much more about these dungeon carts. How much did you have to pay for it (100 GP like the "cart" listed in the rulebook? that seems like a lot)? How much loot did it carry? How were you able to get it down (and, perhaps more importantly, back up) the stairs? Did two people have to pick the thing up and carry it? How fast were you able to move while dragging it? We Gary-deprived OD&D gamers need to know!

 

[Piratecat]

Me: "Hey Cleric, can I get some healing?"
Henry: "I'm saving it for a desperate situation."
Me: "Like what?"
Henry: "Like if I get hurt."

Incidentally, fate struck him down for his brashness. He had two healing spells, each of which cured 1d6+1. He used both on himself.

Spell 1? He rolled a 1.
Spell 2? He rolled a 1!

So two spells cured only 4 hp, which isn't much when you kick open a door and find yourself staring at a whole lot of crossbows...

 

[Rel]

Incidentally, fate struck him down for his brashness. He had two healing spells, each of which cured 1d6+1. He used both on himself.

Spell 1? He rolled a 1.
Spell 2? He rolled a 1!

So two spells cured only 4 hp, which isn't much when you kick open a door and find yourself staring at a whole lot of crossbows...

See, clearly me geeking out about sitting next to Gary was throwing me off my game. Cuz if I'd been ON my game then I would have said, "Henry, St. Cutbert called and he said to tell you 'PWND!"

 

[Olgar Shiverstone]

I am so jealous ... where's that EN World mod application again?

Actually, I'm doubly jealous, not knowing that Gary would be there signing stuff. My 1974 Vol I OD&D rulebook is autographed by Dave Arneson, and I want to get Gary's signature on it, too. Had I know he was scheduled, I would have sent it on with an EN Worlder.

 

[Princesskeyblade]

Everytime you tell that story I laugh louder.....