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, how complete a game is the new Lejendary Adventure: Essentials? Is there a point (as with the old Holmes-edited D&D basic rulebook) at which you have to have additional books to continue play? Or could a group use this boxed set (and nothing else) to run a campaign lasting years? What has been cut from the three main LA rulebooks?

Could one run your new Hall of Many Panes using only the Lejendary Adventure: Essentials rules? Or would one also need the three main LA rulebooks?

The LA Essentials boxed set is a complete game unto itself, and one can play an extended campaign using it. It has cut some of the Avatar Orders, Activations (spells), and cretaures in interest of space.

The Trolls will be releasing my Living the Lejend, campaign base, module, and creature supplement to the 'Essentials boxed set very soon now.

Cheers,
Gary

 

[Col_Pladoh]

Hi Gary,

One of the great icons of D&D (and subsequent RPGs) is the polyhedral dice. The are the backbone of the ruleset and, i think, one of ther things that make the game stand out to newcomers

Where did you get the idea for using them, and did you decide on the specific ones we use today?

cheers,

Having random number generators other than the d6 or a deck of cards was desired by most miniatures game designers that I knew in the 1960s. When sometime c. 1971 I discovered the Platonic solids being sold as dice in a school supply catalog from a company based in California, I was delighted, and thus came all the new probability spreads in D&D

cheers,
Gary

 

[Col_Pladoh]

Gary, would you share your views on the Illusionist class regarding the following?

...

A) At 14th level the Illusionist can take 4 1st level Mu spell and gains another at each level. This was for learning spells and for casting. So a 23rd level Illusionist would be able to 13 1st level Mu spells at 23rd level ability.

That's right, but being able to use them does not mean that the character has an extra 13 ist level spells, only the potential to select those spells as memorized ones to use, as set forth below.

B) At 14th level the Illusionist can take 4 1st level Mu spell and gains another at each level. This was for learning spells and NOT for casting. Each 1st level Mu spell took up a spell slot for a 7th level Illusionist spell. In other words, the Illusionist would take Weird, Prismatic Spray, Alter Reality (just short of a wish) or a 1st level Magic User spell like Read Magic or Sleep for a 7th level spell slot. The casting would be done at the Illusionist given level. ie 14th level Illusionist casts magic missile at 14th level mastery.

Just so.

C) As B but the 1st level magic user spell is cast at 1st level ability for a 14th level Illusionist.

No, they cast them as if 14th level magic-users. that makes their magic missile use meaningful.

Thank you again, for answer my prior question about sleep.

Happy to be of service,
Gary

 

[Col_Pladoh]

Good Colonel,

I thought I should mention that my parents are still angry at you for writing the AD&D books and corrupting me at the tender age of 10 (already 24 years ago -- sheesh! ).

Seriously, I cannot express what a huge influence your work has had on my life. I know AD&D is just a game, but it compelled me to read quite a bit as a tender child (and learn to use a thesaurus!), use math skills, write detailed notes, develop problem-solving (and problem-creating!) skills, and exercise my imagination in coming up with new worlds and adventures for my friends. At the time it was all 'just fun', but in retrospect, I see that playing those games served a vital role in my intellectual development. Plato states in The Republic that the key to educating young people is to make the process of learning seem like 'a fun game' and not about 'dry, important information' (or something like that -- I don't have the book here ), and AD&D certainly did that for me.

Your testimonial is most appreciated. While the game was created and purveyed for fun and entertainment, i did realize it had beneficial effects in regards learning and creativity

It is a real pity that, as far as I know, the educational benefits of RPGs have never been explored in any detail. Was this something you ever considered in your years involved with RPGs?

Yes indeed! I advertised in teracher's magaznes for interested ones to sign up for information about instructional classrom adventure modules using the D&D game system, then I hired a Ph.D in Educational Psychology, Dr. Don Snow. We had over 3,000 teachers on a mailing list, and modules for math and science completes when the Blume brothers decided that my idea was useless. They dropped the idea for the line and put Dr. don to work on ordinary editing. No need to relate what I thought of that, but if the tems "fools" comes to mind, I am understanding.

I am looking forward to picking up the 'Hall of Many Panes' and the first book in the 'Castle Zagyg' series.

I know that you are introducing a few optional rules in the Zagyg book. Do these rules draw on Lejendary Adventures? How easy do you think it would be to combine aspects of LA and C&C in a single game?

the monetary system I have therein comes from the La game. the skills are based loosely on ideas drawn from the LA game system. but they are different. I want the material to make play easier and less rules dependent, not more cmplicated, but the class-based system is so limited in regards to character capacities that I just had to add some ski;; bundles.

One rather strange question: why is Lejendary Adventures spelled with a 'j'?

So as to be a unique adjective usable as a trade mark.

Anyway, thanks again for everything, and I hope that your health continues to improve.

Welcone,
Gary

 

[Col_Pladoh]

Oh man Gary, Out of 20 questions i have asked you have only answered 4. You dont make it easy do you. In anycase, out of 20 questions you have responded to 20. For that i am most grateful. Thanx indeed for your time and attention.

Maybe you should ask different sorts of questions...

Robilar was totally evil. How or why did the other PCs in yours/robs campaign allow this and not seek to end him?

Robilar, Terik, and Erac's Cousin became Lawful Evil. Mordenkainen as Neutral had no reason to assail them as long as they didn't cross the line with him. The other PCs of Good alignment in the game were quite lacking the power to take out those three characters.

Where did Rary come from?

He fell out of the rear end of a horse... Seriously, that was a weak PC created by Brian Blume, a magic-user that was dropped when he became 3rd level, Medium Rary--and yes, I am being serious.

Where did Lemund come from, and what became of him?

Why are you asking me all these questions? LEomund is Len Lakofka's PC, so ask him!

Could you elaborate on what any of these guys were
Riggby, Felnorith, Siggby, Diggby (a dwarf), and the elves Vram and Vin.

I can elaborate to the extent that they are all PCs of mine. Sigby Grigbyson is the correct name, and the main dwarf is Zigby. You left out Slidell of Fax and Curley Greenleaf. All the "by" suffix names were forced on my by DM Rob Kuntz because i had so many PCs he thought they should be identifiable.

What did you think about Robilard and Rary turning evil and all that?

Balderdash made up by someone other than the creators of those PCs, so I think nothing of it at all.

Have you heard Rob Kuntz story on what really happened (It was a Robilar clone)?

See above.

Another PC in a campaign with me got caught using weighted dice to roll stats yesterday. The worst cheating i ever saw. What would you do as Player or GM. ?

I would tell him he was a childish cheat, and that there was no room for such foolishness in a gaming group for which I served as Game Master, so hit the road and don't come back.

Are you sick of seeing the Patriot win superbowls?

Indeed, I was roting for the Colts to take the AFC, and for the Eagles in the Superbowl.

Were you ever approached to COME BACK or do something with D&D when wizards then Hasbro took over?

No.

Do you still deal with Rob Kuntz, it would seem only proper that he have a hand in the NEW CASTLE ZAGIG.

Yes, I am in communication with Rob. As for your observation, I concur, as it is far more work than I am willing to do.

Did Mordenkainen ever visit any other published setting?

Metamorphosis Alpha's Starship Warden and Rob's campaign world.

Is there anywhere to get a complete list of everything you have written. Books, games, adventurers, everything. If so WHERE?

Thanx EGG

Read back on this thread, and the answer to that question will be found. I hate to chew my cabbage twice

 

[Forgemeister]

Castel Wolfmoon MIA

It is in chris Clark's court, so you'll need to ask him. The third part is larger than the first two adventures, so that's part of the hang-up. Also, I believe Chris is considering a revision and re-printing of the initial portions when the final part is done.

I'll send this URL to him in a minute

Cheers,
Gary

>>

Thanks Gary...
YES, we plan on pubbing Castle Wolfmoon, but ran into the very snag Gary describes. With 6 levels and 6 extra-planar mini-adventures attached, the darn thing came out to OVER 360 pages... and in my book, that's too much even for a sourcebook, let alone a module.

We ARE re-writing bits of it, putting 'ending spots' (denouments) in where the story line naturally has breaks, and plan to release it as a series of modules that will both interconnect and play stand alone.

...and we also plan to bring the price down to a reasonable figure... like $19.95 per issue.

I AM in the midst of The Exotic Realms of Hazgar (Hekaforge) sourcebook for Hekaforge, and am also writing Playin' in the Streets RPG (Inner City) right now with hoped for release dates of May and June, respectively. I am also about done with one new micro-game, Trade Wars (Inner City), and am working in conjunction with Mike Leeke out here on Some Assembly Required (Inner City). A second Edition of Fuzzy Heroes (Inner City) is also planned for late this year, as well as Jewels of the East for Hekaforge, and another module for LA entitled Hekanaptra, Lost City of the Utiss(again, Hekaforge).

An optomistic schedule, I'll admit... But I am pretty good, and Gary's going to help with some of that

...right Gary ?

AND we would like to get at least the first four levels of Castle Wolfmoon out as modules this year as well.

Sleep is for the weak.

XXOOCC
(Chris Clark - Inner City Games Designs and Hekaforge Productions)

 

[Col_Pladoh]

Well Chris...

What can I add?

But you didn't say whether or not you planned to revise A Challenge of Arm's and RItual of the Golden Eyes so as to make a nifty campaing series out of them to match with Castle Woldmoon's multi-parts

Cheers,
Gary

 

[Gray Mouser]

Did you know that a proper steak & kidney pie has three sorts in it? That is lamb, veal, and beef kidney. With a thick but flakey crust one makes a lovely supper with a glass of Bordeaux

Cheers,
Gary

Well, Gary, the flakey crust and the Bordeaux sound delicious!

Other than that... Heh

Gray Mouser

 

[Col_Pladoh]

Well, Gary, the flakey crust and the Bordeaux sound delicious!

Other than that... Heh

Gray Mouser

Spoken (virtually) as one who doesn't find roast leg of mutton a delicate dish, and spurns a breaded veal kidney chop

How about flaming plum pudding or a trifle for desert after the double Gloster, Chesshire and Stilton cheese course?


Heh,
Gary

 

[Jdvn1]

Speaking of which... What's your favorite food, Gary?

... Yeah.