Gamers: Tell us a funny story from a recent role-playing adventure that you were a part of.
Gary Gygax: This is a rather long story, as it is necessary to set the stage, so to speak. Last year I began running "Old Time D&D Dungeon Crawls" in celebration of the 25th anniversary of the publication of the original D&D game--the three booklets in the brown box. They were so successful that I have continued to run them this year too.
The players love it because in 15 minutes time they have PCs all set to go, and the adventuring is done in the original Castle Greyhawk Dungeons from c, 1972-3. however, things have proven to be generally disasterous for *all* the characters entering the dungeons. It seems that most players have forgotten the old maxim, "He who runs away lives to fight another day,"
The initial test of the idea was done with my current player group.... and their PCs all died or were captured by a group of kobolds, the survivors sold off as slaves to a band of goblins.
After that I ran this adventure at many conventions in the US and abroad. Except for one or two parties, all of the rest of the PCs pretty much met the same fate. They ran into the kobolds, fought them and were slain or captured.
Of course the kobolds gained XPs from that! They also got a lot of fine equipment to use or sell/trade. They attracted more kobolds, so their minor losses were more than made up. After a time they were organized into a fine fighting machine with sergeants, officers, and all uniformed. The lot are all far now better than ordinary kobolds in regards armor, hit points, even damage delivered. their serjeants and officers are indeed quit a bit better than kobolds, shall we say...
Because of their staunchness, their success in defeating larger and tougher hiuman foes, I thought it appropriate to garb then in blue coats, brass gorgets in the shape of an eagle, tall bearskin hats. They have an "emperor" whom they serve valiantly, never retreating. Of course they march well and sing songs of battle as they come--these being of something that might remind those hearing them of a French sort of song.
While at GenCon UK early in September, I got a group together to engage in such an adventure. One of the members was well aware of the existence of the "Old Guard Kobolds", he being on my talk list and reading the many accounts of past adventuring parties coming to grief in meeting them. Nonetheless...
After some exploration of the first level of the dungeon ruins, the party encountered a bombardier beetle, defeated it, and then heard the tramp of boots, the sound of voices raised in song approaching their position. "Oh no!" said the knowledgeable player. "I've led us straight to those bloody kobolds!"
Instead of running off, though, the party stayed, lost initiative, and suffered a hail of javelins, lost a member or two. Sleep spells flew, and eventually all the kobolds fell--but not before a horn was winded by the serjeant of the patrol. Again, instead of running they tarried, slew the sergeant and several of the ranks, and again the sound of boots was heard, this time more kobolds and at the double.
Even though some of the kobolds were laid low by another sleep spell, the party was slain then, save for the knowledgeable member's PC and a magic-user. then, too late, they ran. The former character became confused, made a stand to as to allow the mage to escape, and died there. The mage was eventually chased down and captured. "Ah-hah! Just as I had planned," thought I. Then I groaned aloud, "Oh no!" This because I recalled that the m-u had cast only one of two spells possessed, and the second was a charm person. The mage smiled knowingly, and I could but wince at the events to follow.
Of course the kobolds sold the mage to the goblins, the goblin chief failed his save miserably, now thinks that the m-u is his best friend and wisest counsellor. So at this juncture the goblins are being run by a PC, and what can transpire from that is likely to be startling. My precious kobolds are in danger, but worse, the whole level of the dungeon is likely to be affected. Hopefully it will be for the "better", the mage going over to the Dark Side, of course, and thus making the place even more dangerous than it has proven to be.
Without intending it, though, it seems as if I will soon have to be again running a campaign game based on the oldest RPG material about. Via email input from the wily magic-user I am developing the goblins even as the kobolds replace their losses, move up another notch in their capacity. My regulars here in Lake Geneva are not likely to want to play more, but with conventions I suspect there'll be plenty of interested dungeoneers to subject to the developing environment. If but a few others succeed as well as the mage did, then I'll likely be running an email and chat room campaign online. That's something I have avoided because of the time required, so my kobold joke might well backfire.
