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: Lenard Lakofka

Gary--

Thanks for your reply. Certainly, in the newest incarnation of the D&D game, Tharizduun is playing a major role; from Return to the Temple of Elemental Evil to the Living Greyhawk campaign, we're seeing T's cultists all over.

As for getting in touch with Mr. Lakofka, I'm having trouble even finding out if he has a presence on the net. I know he wrote two articles for Canonfire and the Oerth Journal, but that was a few years back. I understand he's also a major figure in the Diplomacy world, but again, I can't find anything recent from him.

Tarek

Heh... Cults of worshippers of Tharizdun must needs be those with an extreme death wish...

Right in regards to Len. Have you tried a websearch? Fact is I haven't heard from himin over a year. The whole of my email addy book got blown out about a year back, so Len's went with it, and I not having heard from Len since, I can't email him about this thread.

Cheerio,
Gary

 

[MerricB]

Where are Steve Jackson (the Brit) and Ian Livingston when you need them? Likely living it up in Spain...

Republishing the Fighting Fantasy books at the moment, actually. The first four of the reprints (Warlock of Firetop Mountain, Citadel of Chaos, Deathtrap Dungeon & Creature of Havoc) have just arrived on the shelves of many bookstores Down Under.

See the icon books website.

Did you ever look at them, Gary? I've very fond memories of the Warlock of Firetop Mountain...

Cheers!

 

[Col_Pladoh]

Republishing the Fighting Fantasy books at the moment, actually. The first four of the reprints (Warlock of Firetop Mountain, Citadel of Chaos, Deathtrap Dungeon & Creature of Havoc) have just arrived on the shelves of many bookstores Down Under.

See the icon books website.

Did you ever look at them, Gary? I've very fond memories of the Warlock of Firetop Mountain...

Cheers!

Bet their agent is seeing to the republishing of those books, MerricB, even as they frolic here or there

I was so busy when those books were being published initially that I never did read/play any of them. I did have Steve and Ian as guests at my place--then out in the country west of Lake Geneva. Both assisted me in clearing some vines from the trees sourrounding the house. I forgot that a lot of people react badly to handling poison oak--it doesn't bother me much, a small blister if I rub it on my bare skin. Seems as if both of them returned to the UK and had some rather annoying skin outbreaks like poison ivy from their good deed helping me

Heh,
Gary

 

[Moorcrys]

Hey Gary,

One of my favorite things about the original AD&D was the illusionist class. In fact, I'm still disappointed with the 'genericized' specialist wizards in both second and 3E (a fireball flinging illusionist? Where's the flavor in that?) As it was such an odd class in the first edition of the game and forfeited a good deal the damaging 'punch' of the magic-user in favor of something subtler, I was wondering if you recall any of the more successful players of illusionists in your earlier games? What was your inspiration for that particular class?

Moorcrys

 

[Tarek]

Getting in touch

Gary--

I did in fact try a web search or two. That's how I found out that Mr. Lakofka was heavily into Diplomacy .

Unfortunately, the web search engines that I used did not pick up any e-mail address for him, not even through the web sites that showed up.

Tarek

 

[Theuderic]

Quick question Gary: have you read any of Margeret Weis & Tracy Hickman's works and if so what did you think of them?

 

[tsadkiel]

Anyway, I agree that the Gith are an interesting racial pair. Only their creator, or Steve & Ian possibly, can give you the inside information you seek.

Here's an interview with Charles Stross about the origins of the Gith races.

http://www.planewalker.com/loz/mi_stross.shtml

 

[Col_Pladoh]

Hey Gary,

One of my favorite things about the original AD&D was the illusionist class. In fact, I'm still disappointed with the 'genericized' specialist wizards in both second and 3E (a fireball flinging illusionist? Where's the flavor in that?) As it was such an odd class in the first edition of the game and forfeited a good deal the damaging 'punch' of the magic-user in favor of something subtler, I was wondering if you recall any of the more successful players of illusionists in your earlier games? What was your inspiration for that particular class?

Moorcrys

Thanks, and I appreciate the good words.The illusionist sub-class sprang from my reading. So many spellworkers in fable and fiction used only the illusory, not "real magic" that had actual substance and effect, that I thought it would be fun to include such an option in the game.

Subtilty was indeed a factor in play--and for that reason not a lot of illusionists were active in my campaign. Also, as a "latecomer" to choices, those who did have such PCs were not in the level par with the veteran characters of other class. As I recall, there were a couple of mid-level illusionists, somewhere around 9th-10th level active. Don't recall who played them. Rob might...

As noted previously, I have a gnome illusionish/thief PC, but he is of pretty low level, about 4th in both classes, and I haven't had opportunity to play him for a couple of years, so I'll have the devil of a time finding his character sheet if the opportunity arises.

Cheerio,
Gary

 

[Col_Pladoh]

Re: Getting in touch

Gary--

I did in fact try a web search or two. That's how I found out that Mr. Lakofka was heavily into Diplomacy .

Unfortunately, the web search engines that I used did not pick up any e-mail address for him, not even through the web sites that showed up.

Tarek

A Kind Soul sent me an email giving me Len's addy, and I have just contacted him, included the URL to this page in the message. If Len is wiling, he'll be dropping in

Gary

 

[Col_Pladoh]

Quick question Gary: have you read any of Margeret Weis & Tracy Hickman's works and if so what did you think of them?

Well, I did read about half of the first of the "Dragonlance" novel and found it not to my particular taste in fantasy, so I passed it on to my sons. One read several of their books thereafter and enjoyed them.

I enjoy either a lot of action or very interesting and different characters being developed. So, for example, Howard and Vance are favorite authors

Gary