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]

Dear Gary,

If you won a million, trillion, squillion dollars and purchasing back the rights to D&D was just a drop in the ocean, would you:

a) Not even bother buying back the rights for D&D. That's behind you now. You would use all your money to promote and publish LA.

b) Buy back the rights and personally author the 4th edition the way *you* think it should be.

c) Buy back the rights and act as a consultant/creative director but otherwise focus on LA.

d) Buy back the rights but leave it unchanged.



Also, what would you do with GH if you bought back the rights. Would you:

1) Dump it as a setting. It's seen its time.

2) Dump all material after you left and begin again from the '83 boxed set.

3) Acknowledge WotC/TSR's "canon" version and take it up from there.


I'm very interested to hear your comments.

Thank you.

That is just the sort of useless speculation I never waste my time with. There isn't one chance in a million of anything like that happening, so why expend precious time and thought energy on the subject? That wont be hapening with me, as I have so many positive and actual creative things to work on

Cheers,
Gary

 

[Col_Pladoh]

Somwhere in the DMG is a chart that has age modifers for demi-humans. The gist of it is that magical aging assumes a human life span. If a race lives twice as long as humans, for example, then all aging effects are doubled.

Plus there is always the system shock roll.

Considering the lifespan gor humans subsumed in the game, even an adjusted loss of longevity for use of speed potion is minimal. As for use of system shock, I never employed that foe the consumption of potions. In a magical milieu, only a misbrewed potion would be likely to have ill effects on the one quaffing it

Cheers,
Gary

 

[Col_Pladoh]

Kinda the definition of drinking alone

Well, I'll usually invite Jack Daniels to join me...

That was one of my favorite tunes of the 80s, of course

Skoal,
Gary

 

[Joseph Elric Smith]

Yes George thoughgood and the delaware destroyers
Ken

 

[Semah G Noj]

Hello Gary

My ex-girlfriend's son and I met you at Milwaukee Gamefest the last two years and you signed his dice box for him. (He insists that all dice contained within roll better.) He had a small plastic container filled with about 100 tiny D6's, which you grabbed and pretended to be about to roll on the table to see how many 6's would come up. It's his favorite story to tell other gamers. So if you've done nothing else in this world, you brought joy to a 13 year old on that day and ensured his continuing gaming for years to come, and for that he and I both thank you.


And then I realize I have no question.

 

[TerraDave]

Not only have I had a few pints of Newcastle, but I've enjoyed a variety of real ales locally brewed in the pubs of Old Blighty

Cheerio,
Gary

http://www.westfront.de/blighty.htm

 

[TerraDave]

Not only have I had a few pints of Newcastle, but I've enjoyed a variety of real ales locally brewed in the pubs of Old Blighty

Most of my group have to drive some distance home after a game session, so we don't get to enjoy much in the way of good brews when we play...and when I drink alone i prefer to be by myself

Cheerio,
Gary

The last time in London, I went to the "Churchill Arms", they pulled a good pint, but the locals came for the Thai food

 

[Jdvn1]

I have had no input in regards to the WoG since 1985, so you will need to direct your comments and questions to wizards.

Speaking of which, your name is still on the PHB. Shouldn't you be getting royalties or something?

 

[Gray Mouser]

Those aren't board wargames amigo. Real wargamers have played Drang Nacht Osten for a few weeks before giving up, or else know and play 20 Avalon Hill Company military game titles and have a collection of SPI games (never played usually).

Cheers,
Gary

Heh, I know! Like I said, I was 3 when the "Swords & Sorcery in Wargaming" essay was published I'm a young one, I guess, although when it comes to AD&D/D&D I still consider myself a grognard.

Gray Mouser

 

[Zudrak]

Hola

Gary,

I am very glad to see you're doing well and still plugging away on the creative front. I look forward to purchasing the Castle Zagyg series as it is released.

My name is Michael and I had emailed back and forth with you a couple of years ago from AOL (Hint: Red 1/4 was my screen name there). Anyway, I wanted to say thanks for responding to the emails and really helping me out, minor though it may seem to be.

Of course, if you need anything edited, my offer is still open. It looks like that won't be necessary though, because I have most of the Gygaxian series of books from Troll Lord and they are wonderful. I cannot wait to complete the set.

Sadly, I could not convince my players to try LA as they are set in their 3/3.5E D&D ways. :\ I did take a lot of your advice from prior writings though and removed myself from a gaming group where every get-together was a sparring session with a rules-lawyer. We still get together with her and her family, we just won't play RPG's there any more.

I continue to pray for your health and wellness. FWIW, I do hope someday D&D will come back to its founder -- through (mis)adventures just as positive as the 80's ones were negative -- so it can be set aright (in the opinions of some of us grognards!). I still game in 576 +/- CY WoG and enjoy the skeleton you gave us DM's in 1983 . I hope some pro-Gygax fan hits the lottery as mentioned earlier by dead in his post -- just to wrench D&D away from Hasbroken and put it in safe hands once again.

Okay, here's my question:
When Francois drafted his OA manuscripts, was it in his plans (or yours) to create a continent on Oerth where the "orient" would exist or was he seeking to create a new continent/setting to be created all on its own? I was wondering if Kara-Tur (which was set on Oerth originally, IIRC, because I set it east of Oerik across the Solnor Ocean from the North Province) was an idea created by you, Francois, or Zeb Cook.

Thanks again for creating a fantastic hobby.

Michael / Zudrak

 

[Col_Pladoh]

Hello Gary

My ex-girlfriend's son and I met you at Milwaukee Gamefest the last two years and you signed his dice box for him. (He insists that all dice contained within roll better.) He had a small plastic container filled with about 100 tiny D6's, which you grabbed and pretended to be about to roll on the table to see how many 6's would come up. It's his favorite story to tell other gamers. So if you've done nothing else in this world, you brought joy to a 13 year old on that day and ensured his continuing gaming for years to come, and for that he and I both thank you.


And then I realize I have no question.

Heh,

All right!

cheerio,
Gary

As the father of six children i confess to really liking yinglings. I am very happy I made the lad's day and gave him something fun to both play and talk about

 

[RFisher]

Thanks for the answers, Gary.

Heroes are used only in Man-to-Man play, so one is equal to four normal men.

So, they make four attacks on the man-to-man table per round?

i am quite at a loss to answer that, as the Hero and all the other Fantasy supplement figures were employed only in the play of Man-to-Man games, never in the mass system where one figure equalled 20.

Interesting. The whole Fantasy Supplement reads to me as if it is written only for the 1:20 rules. Especially the HEROES description.

 

[Col_Pladoh]

http://www.westfront.de/blighty.htm

That's a great link

Cheerio,
Gary

 

[Col_Pladoh]

The last time in London, I went to the "Churchill Arms", they pulled a good pint, but the locals came for the Thai food

I realy enjoy the country pubs, and a pub lunch is a great time for me.

For all who can go, try the Old fire Station in ely for dinner

For those in the Santa Monica, CA ares, try the king's Head Pub for both a black & tan and some pub food.

Cheers,
Gary

 

[Col_Pladoh]

Speaking of which, your name is still on the PHB. Shouldn't you be getting royalties or something?

In my settlement and separation from TSR all those rights were signed over to them for deravitve works as they defined them. 2E was by that definition a derivative, so other that a straight reprint of OAD&D falls into that category.

The short answer is no

Cheers,
Gary

 

[Col_Pladoh]

Heh, I know! Like I said, I was 3 when the "Swords & Sorcery in Wargaming" essay was published I'm a young one, I guess, although when it comes to AD&D/D&D I still consider myself a grognard.

Gray Mouser

Anyone who has playedfor 10 or more years is likely entitled to that distinction

Cheers,
Gary

 

[Jdvn1]

In my settlement and separation from TSR all those rights were signed over to them for deravitve works as they defined them. 2E was by that definition a derivative, so other that a straight reprint of OAD&D falls into that category.

The short answer is no

Cheers,
Gary

Dude, sounds like you got screwed.

 

[Nathal]

In my settlement and separation from TSR all those rights were signed over to them for deravitve works as they defined them. 2E was by that definition a derivative, so other that a straight reprint of OAD&D falls into that category.

I remember reading somewhere that Wizards of the Coast, when still under Peter's reign, paid you and Dave Arneson for any residual rights to the game. I wondered, why was that necessary? In fact, I think I read something about that in Dragon magazine in 2000.

 

[Col_Pladoh]

Gary,

I am very glad to see you're doing well and still plugging away on the creative front. I look forward to purchasing the Castle Zagyg series as it is released.

Good thing I managed to get that done before the health problems struck, as the module is a very thorough one that took a lot of work to complete. I do hope you enjoy it. with a capable GM the contents should keep a group happily engaged in adventuring for many, many months.

My name is Michael and I had emailed back and forth with you a couple of years ago from AOL (Hint: Red 1/4 was my screen name there). Anyway, I wanted to say thanks for responding to the emails and really helping me out, minor though it may seem to be.

That was a awhile back indeed...

Of course, if you need anything edited, my offer is still open. It looks like that won't be necessary though, because I have most of the Gygaxian series of books from Troll Lord and they are wonderful. I cannot wait to complete the set.

What with the aid of o coule of stalwarts and the TLG staff, and a little after-creation checking from me, things have indeed improved in regards editing. another set of eyes is always good, though, and you might want to contact Hekaforge and the trolls.

Sadly, I could not convince my players to try LA as they are set in their 3/3.5E D&D ways. :\ I did take a lot of your advice from prior writings though and removed myself from a gaming group where every get-together was a sparring session with a rules-lawyer. We still get together with her and her family, we just won't play RPG's there any more.

Ah well, I believe they are missing out on the real FRPG experience, that like the OA/D&D one, but no one can argue with preference in gaming. If tyou are ever in the Lake Geneva area be sure and let me know, stop by and we'll play some LA...although currently the group is engaged in pure OD&D action

I continue to pray for your health and wellness. FWIW, I do hope someday D&D will come back to its founder -- through (mis)adventures just as positive as the 80's ones were negative -- so it can be set aright (in the opinions of some of us grognards!). I still game in 576 +/- CY WoG and enjoy the skeleton you gave us DM's in 1983 . I hope some pro-Gygax fan hits the lottery as mentioned earlier by dead in his post -- just to wrench D&D away from Hasbroken and put it in safe hands once again.

I can use all the prayers offered on my behalf, and I thank you kindly!

Don't hold your breath in regards to a return of the original game, as it's most improbable. the C&C system from the Trolls is about as close as is ever likely to come to the original material.

Okay, here's my question:
When Francois drafted his OA manuscripts, was it in his plans (or yours) to create a continent on Oerth where the "orient" would exist or was he seeking to create a new continent/setting to be created all on its own? I was wondering if Kara-Tur (which was set on Oerth originally, IIRC, because I set it east of Oerik across the Solnor Ocean from the North Province) was an idea created by you, Francois, or Zeb Cook.

Thanks again for creating a fantastic hobby.

Michael / Zudrak

Well Michael...

Francois had a map of a continent and some islands to the east, and they were going to be added. The "Orient" wes actually to be past them, closer to the West Coast of Oerik.

Zeb took advantage of my being absolutely engrossed in the business affairs of TSR at the time--I was doing my best to keep the company from being forced into receivership, and i succeeded--but he managed to sink Francois' material and use only his own during that time.

BTW, Len Lakofka had an eastern continental addition as well as the Lendore Isles, so what Iplanned to so was incorporate Francois' and Len's maps with Oerik, complete the lower continent below it, and have a real globe

So much for plans.

Cheers,
Gary

 

[Voadam]

Well, I'll usually invite Jack Daniels to join me...

. . . and his buddy Jimmy Bean.