D&D General I wish people would avoid name-dropping Gary Gygax

[TiQuinn]

And I think Monty Haulism was a blight upon the game in those days.

I really think it was overstated. The practical impact of multiple magic items was that characters had powers, not that they were overpowered. It was the only way to truly customize a character.

 

[Mannahnin]

I think what he wrote in the books was good advice most of the time. I think even he would streamline his game if he were around and rewrote it today. His advice concerning how to handle players though has served me very well over the years. And I think Monty Haulism was a blight upon the game in those days.

I think some of his advice we have to take as being tongue in cheek hyperbole or designate as obviously dumb, such as references to employing bolts from the blue or invisible mummies to deal with recalcitrant players, rather than having adult conversations with them.

It's really notable that none of the DMing advice in the 1e DMG involves sitting down and having a respectful talk about mutual expectations and fun. Part of why Jennell Jaquays' work on the 2e Campaign Sourcebook and Catacomb Guide is still so respected is that it gives such advice.

Monty Haulism may have been a blight at some tables, but never at any of mine, in part because I think we took Gary's words too seriously. The first time, as a teenager, I played a high level AD&D convention game where the DM allowed folks to bring characters of any level, the DM was nonplussed at how underequipped my brother's and my characters were, but wished us good luck.

I'll agree that, say, Wishes must have been WAY too common in Gary's games given the absolutely absurd rules for raising ability scores with them in AD&D, but the consequence I saw in play of taking his advice seriously is that I think I saw one Wish in play ever, in all the years I played AD&D in the 80s and 90s.

 

[Kichwas]

Disclaimer:
Gary Gygax was a lot of things.

Gygax was everywhere, everywhen.

 

[Mannahnin]

Gygax was everywhere, everywhen.

I should do a song parody of Mojo Nixon's Elvis is Everywhere with Gygax substituted for Elvis, but I suspect only @Snarf Zagyg would appreciate it...

It's some seriously hipster bardery.

 

[Snarf Zagyg]

@Mannahnin

Well, some people try to pick up d4s
And step on 'em like tacks
This never happened to E. Gary Gygax
He could enter your home game
And send ethereal mummies after you
And so E. Gary Gygax was never called too lax

Well, gamers would turn the color
Of the avocado when he would DM
For them with all of his bravado
He could enter your home game
And send ethereal mummies after you
And so E. Gary Gygax was never called too lax
Not like you 5e DMs
Alright

Well he only had his words
But gamers could not resist his vocabulary
E. Gary Gygax was never called too lax
Not in Wisconsin

 

[Mannahnin]

@Snarf Zagyg

When I look out into your eyes out there
When I look out into your faces
You know what I see?
I see a little bit of Gygax
In each and every one of you out there

Lemme tell ya...
Weeeeeeeeeellllllll...

Gygax is everywhere
Gygax is everything
Gygax is everybody
Gygax is still the king

Man o man
What I want you to see
Is that the big G's
Inside of you and me

Gygax is everywhere, man!
He's in everything
He's in everybody...

Gygax is in your games
He's in your character sheets
Gygax is in Roll 20!
Gygax is in Matt Mercer!

He's in every gamer
He's in the young, the grognard
The fat, the skinny
The white, the black
The brown and the Pathfinder 2
People got Gygax in 'em too

 

[Snarf Zagyg]

@Mannahnin

You know, I was going to do Nails... 99 Lines ..... but then I was like .... oh, that would not be a good idea. Not at all.

99 Tables About 44 Harlo....


Nope. Not gonna. So, what do YOU think about orcs and alignment?*



*Please note that if you are stumbling on this and do not understand the context or the humor, do not discuss that topic either.

 

[KYRON45]

@Mannahnin

You know, I was going to do Nails... 99 Lines ..... but then I was like .... oh, that would not be a good idea. Not at all.

99 Tables About 44 Harlo....


Nope. Not gonna. So, what do YOU think about orcs and alignment?*



*Please note that if you are stumbling on this and do not understand the context or the humor, do not discuss that topic either.

I got 99 problems and Snarf ain't one!!!
Of course i'm terrible at math and don't really understand a word he says.

 

[NN]

Gygxaian, n. A gamer who is enamoured of ancient design errors, as distinguished from the Nongygaxian, who wishes to replace them with new ones.

 

[Snarf Zagyg]

Of course i'm terrible at math

Nobody told me that there would be math!
-Abraham Lincoln, while working on NASA's Mars Climate Orbiter.