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]

Gary, if you could stat yourself out for 3rd edition, what would you be like?

That question requires far greater knowledge of the system than I possess

Gary

 

[Wormwood]

Re: Re: Q&A with Gary Gygax Pt. 3

I haven't been musy inspired in regards creative writing--been watching the telly to keep track of the war in Iraq.

Tell me about it---I've been working for two weeks with a live Baghdad-cam in the corner of my screen. Almost blew out my pc speakers a few times.

Been off for a couple of days now...so now I have to work.

 

[ColonelHardisson]

Here is the new thread:

http://enworld.cyberstreet.com/showthread.php?s=&threadid=46861

 

[Melan]

Greetings!

A new question: in your games, how often did the characters confront arch-devils and demon lords (if at all)? Were they successful in slaying these great evil powers, or did such a fight always mean irrevocable, painful death?

For example, did they come blow to blow with Zuggtmoy, did they spell an end to Lolth (maybe in a different way from Queen of the Demonweb Pits?), or was Kerzit's defeat an isolated event?

Plus: was demonkind limited to the base types found in the Monster Manual, or did you invent multiple demon variants to entertain and terrify the adventurers?

 

[Col_Pladoh]

Re: Re: Re: Q&A with Gary Gygax Pt. 3

Tell me about it---I've been working for two weeks with a live Baghdad-cam in the corner of my screen. Almost blew out my pc speakers a few times.

Been off for a couple of days now...so now I have to work.

Right...and I like that sig you have

Cheers,
Gary

 

[Kai Lord]

Hey Gary,

Here's a question for the ages. Does drow rhyme with cow?

 

[Col_Pladoh]

Greetings!

A new question: in your games, how often did the characters confront arch-devils and demon lords (if at all)? Were they successful in slaying these great evil powers, or did such a fight always mean irrevocable, painful death?

For example, did they come blow to blow with Zuggtmoy, did they spell an end to Lolth (maybe in a different way from Queen of the Demonweb Pits?), or was Kerzit's defeat an isolated event?

Plus: was demonkind limited to the base types found in the Monster Manual, or did you invent multiple demon variants to entertain and terrify the adventurers?

Heh! No PC in the group would ever have dared face a really big-time demomon of devi. I'll speak for Mordenkainen and Bigby in that regard When playing in what became the D3 module someone in the group managed to gate in Asmodeus, and another character called for some entity as strong as that to oppose that devil. Of course I brought in Orcus when the call for assistance was deemed successful. The two are actually opposed of course... They had a fine time laughing at the grovelling mortals, then failed to agree as to who got whose souls. The dispute escallated, and the party escaped.

Not a lot of demons and devils were encountered in my campaign, and when they were it was usually a major fight to get rid of them. They tended to keep gating in reinforcements.

I would sometimes create a unique sort of minor demon or devil for the party to deal with, but. with the plethora of other monsters available this was a rare and "special" thing.

Cheers,
Gary

 

[saduff]

In response to the Devil Q and A....

I find that alot of gamers under play the creatures. Namely dragons, powerful undead, and devils/ demons. Even without any roleplaying element to these types of monsters. They can cause a great deal of pain if played well.

Or maybe it is just my gaming style, but no player of mine is going to go dragon hunting in his spare time.







I have no real question. Im just stating an opinion....

 

[Wormwood]

Actually, I do have a question.

Why spiders?

Many years ago, we battled our way down down down to the Abyss and discovered that the dark heart of the Drow had eight legs.

We've been fascinated by the Dark Elves ever since, but I've always wondered what inspired their arachnophilia?

It's a wonderful touch which lent the race a uniquely creepy feel (that echoes to this day), but is there some story behind that decision?

Thanks.

 

[Aeolius]

another question...

Gary, in your mind, how old is Oerth? Is it millions of years old, thus capable of generating fossils, species evolution, and mass extinctions? Or was it whipped up by the gods 20,000 years prior to Oerth's recent history?

(Yes, I asked this on GreyTalk, as well)