TSR Q&A with Gary Gygax

This is the multi-year Q&A sessions held by D&D co-creator Gary Gygax here at EN World, beginning in 2002 and running up until his sad pasing in 2008. Gary's username in the thread below is Col_Pladoh, and his first post in this long thread is Post #39.

 

[Col_Pladoh]

Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Hi Gary...Gord question...

woohoo!

hey, that's the weekend before my wedding.

that reminds me... when is gencon? hope i don't have to miss it...

Hey, congratulations, Boz! (And kiss your gaming days goodbye.) Okay, J/K

I think GenCon is the last weekend in July, but I am not sure, as I'm not going this year. I'll make the Milwaukee Gamefest 1-3 August, though, which I understand is the weekend following GenCon, then on the next Friday I head for Chicago to the Comic Con.

If you make either event, please look me up and say hi We'll have a room party at the Milwaukee Gamefest, but which night I don't yet know.

Cheers,
Gary

 

[BOZ]

Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Hi Gary...Gord question...

Hey, congratulations, Boz! (And kiss your gaming days goodbye.) Okay, J/K

heheh well, she's not a gamer herself, but she has played RPGs before (and, being with me, will likely do so again in the future). besides, she has her own series of fanatacism (which Need Not Be Named) that requires her to give me more leeway.

as long as gencon isn't the weekend of Aug 17, i'll try to be there. i have a friend that moved to indianapolis last year and i can hang out with her and her friends.

 

[Paul_Klein]

I hate to hijack this thread, so I will do so briefly:

BOZ: Do you know Reylan Talonspyre?

 

[BOZ]

should i?

 

[MerricB]

G'day, Gary!

I was just wondering - how popular were demihumans in your AD&D games? Did they often reach the level limits? Did they go above them due to one method or another?

Cheers!

 

[Col_Pladoh]

G'day, Gary!

I was just wondering - how popular were demihumans in your AD&D games? Did they often reach the level limits? Did they go above them due to one method or another?

Cheers!

Hi Merric

About half of the players had demi-human PCs, and that's when I saw the need to allow multi-classing more broadly, and not limit the thief level. Also some of the sub-types were created and the level limits bumped up to accommodate those who insisted on playing non-human races in a human-dominated game and world setting. Actually, I allways allowed a Wish spell to bump up a level too...

It is worth noting, that most players never got PCs above around 12th level, so even an elf fighter/m-u of 5/8 was a viable member of a typical party.

Cheers,
Gary

 

[MerricB]

It is worth noting, that most players never got PCs above around 12th level, so even an elf fighter/m-u of 5/8 was a viable member of a typical party.

That's really interesting, Gary. Who were the standout players who managed to achieve 13+ levels?

Cheers!

 

[Col_Pladoh]

That's really interesting, Gary. Who were the standout players who managed to achieve 13+ levels?

Cheers!

Actually, most players sort of retired their PCs at around 12th level, preferring to start new ones. By dint of demand Rob, with Robilar and Otto, and Ernie, with Tenser and Erac's Cousin, got above 13th. there were also a handful of others just around 12th and 13th level, but I don't recall who played which PC in that regard.

Mordenkainen and Bigby, mainly by demand, played in so many different campaigns that they kept climbing. Most of my other PCs that did likewise, but were mainly active in Greyhawk with Rob as DM, are in the range of 16th level (Yrag) on down.

Cheers,
Gary

 

[Joseph Elric Smith]

Great to see the quick start rules posted at Lejendary.com good sir
Ken

 

[Morrus]

I don't suppose anyone feels like compiling these Gary Gygax threads into a nice neat document, do they?