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: apologies if this has already been asked!

Hi Gary,

I was wondering what were the original destinations the mysterious metal triangles in Mordenkainen's Fantastic Adventure were meant to lead to. I'm using these to send my PCs to a number of different campaign settings I've bought over the years and never used.

Cheers


Richard

Hi Richard!

Fact is I never got to try any of those gates. Rob alone knows where those sent the PC activating them. All Mordie & Company found was a portal to a world where everything was super-sized--recall the huge ivory pillars thet he and Bigby sought refuge atop when the iron golem attacked. Not wanting to meet creatures armed with tusks as large as towers, we scooted away. the plan was to return another day, but fate intervened to disallow that--I was moved out to the West Coast.

Cheers,
Gary

 

[MerricB]

Here's what Rob Kuntz had to say about the star when asked a similar question last year on his message boards.

Robert J. Kuntz posted:
As the missing Xelloss would say, "That's a secret!"

Actually EGG and myself never really made up what was going to fit into those, really. But I am breaching the topic with him again on it. After so many years, we should be able to come up with something.

Cheers!

 

[RichGreen]

Thanks!


Richard

 

[Col_Pladoh]

Hello Gary!
After reading some of your responses to earlier posts, another question came to mind...
How has the playing and enjoyment of RPGs changed for you since AD&D? I mean, there seems to be an evolution of style in the games you've authored since AD&D (Mythus, LA). The addition of skills, mostly.
For example: You mentioned in an earlier post that you expected AD&D players to bring along a good amount of hirelings and henchmen into the dungeons with them. Is this still a recipe that rings true in LA?
Is LA the natural evolution of AD&D for you, or a whole new agenda all-together?
Thank-you for your time, dear sir!

Duglas

Duglas,

That's an excellent question

The newer game systems I designed were meant to offer a somewhat different perspective on the play of the FRPG. I'll move directly to the LA game as it is in print.

LA is a different game that any other I have created. What I was attempting to create with it is the same "spirit and soul" as were found in OA/D&D while having a completely different approach. It is so different that those coming to it with the D&D mindset have trouble getting into it. That is the main reason I used new terminology, hoping thus to facilitate the grasp of the new system by using different names and changint thinking patterns.

In the LA system the beginning character (Avatar) is sufficiently able to operate alone or with a like party and not need to hire anyone. Of course hiring can be done if the Avatar has sufficient funds.

Let me go back a bit to the approach of original D&D players. Most suce initial players came from military miniatures gaming where commanding a force of warriors was the norm. It was a natural thing for a PC group to hire men-at-arms, form a mercenary company and adventure thus. As the background experience of the players became less warame oriented, the focus of play shifter from the compamy to the core party of PCs. this was in a sense an evolution, the realization of the uniqueness of the RPG form apart from the military miniaturtes one. Designing adventure material for a party of PC is certainly easier than doing the same for a party plus mercenary forces. Thus modules assumed the former, and the concept of the adventuring company was further removed from the game.

It seems most players prefer to manage only their own PC/Avatar and work with the player group thus. A couple of years back when I was play-testing a sourcebook for the LA game the group turned down the services of a company of warriors that their prowess had impressed--the team of Avatars had gained considerable Repute. They could have become local lords, ruled lands and estates, etc. Instead they preferred to be an adventuring party of "rootless" sort--over the objections of one younger member, my son Alex. They also avoided political matters.

So in the end the question is more of player preference than of evolution of ideas. Most persons seem to prefer individual action to command of a group of NPCs. When playing the former sort of campaign thinking and action are on the personal and small tactical scale. In the larger-group format, thinking must expand beyond the personal problem and quest into areas that include such things as business, commerce, espionage, finances, intregue, politics, protocol, strategy, etc.

The LA game can handle either approach, but it was created to facilitate the core Avatar group adventure

Yes, I still prefer the larger approach, but I don't get to play a character often enough to tire of the limited, personal adventure one.

Sorry to run on so!

Gary

 

[Col_Pladoh]

Here's what Rob Kuntz had to say about the star when asked a similar question last year on his message boards.

Cheers!

Heh, Merric!

So now my Kindly DM is going to consult with me in regards where the portals lead, eh? Fat chance Mordie would suggest they lead to places filled with unguarded magic items and vast heaps of glittering gems...

Actually, Rob was excellent at "winging" new material, and no doubt he's have come up with something far less idyllic for my PCs to encounter.

When he gets back online I'll try to remember to broach this subject with him.

Cheers,
Gary

 

[BigBastard]

Hi Gary!

I don't know if this question was asked before but I'll give it a shot. When you left TSR did you leave behind any unfinished games or modules that were never produced by TSR? Are there any lost adventures floating around?

Thanks for everything.

 

[Col_Pladoh]

Hi Gary!

I don't know if this question was asked before but I'll give it a shot. When you left TSR did you leave behind any unfinished games or modules that were never produced by TSR? Are there any lost adventures floating around?

Thanks for everything.

A question that's not been asked before

The answer is no*, while I did leave behind many books, games, miniatures, a poster, and some notes that were wrongfully retained and never returned by management, all of my working game material was kept elsewhere--mainly with my campaign notebooks. Thse I still retain, although one or two of the maps for "side adventure" areas connected to the castle-dungeons ahve been lost.

*The sole exception is the map for the bandit city of Stoink and the notes for that place. I was planning on developing that place as an adjunct to the ToEE, so the map and notes were in my office and lost. I have seen a photocopy of the map, and someone else has a copy of the notes, I believe.

Cheers,
Gary

 

[Joseph Elric Smith]

A question that's not been asked before

The answer is no*, while I did leave behind many books, games, miniatures, a poster, and some notes that were wrongfully retained and never returned by management, all of my working game material was kept elsewhere--mainly with my campaign notebooks. Thse I still retain, although one or two of the maps for "side adventure" areas connected to the castle-dungeons ahve been lost.

*The sole exception is the map for the bandit city of Stoink and the notes for that place. I was planning on developing that place as an adjunct to the ToEE, so the map and notes were in my office and lost. I have seen a photocopy of the map, and someone else has a copy of the notes, I believe.

Cheers,
Gary

Well tell us who so we can go beat them up and make copies
ken

 

[Col_Pladoh]

Well tell us who so we can go beat them up and make copies
ken

Sorry, but I don't keep track of petty thieves

Cheers,
Gary

 

[Joseph Elric Smith]

Sorry, but I don't keep track of petty thieves

Cheers,
Gary

Oh but it is your work good sir , that makes it priceless beyond measure .
So I see you posting less, Working on some new projects? Looking forward to getting your latest book from TLG , next month if my budget goes according to plan
Ken