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.

 

[haakon1]

Gawds

Hmmm, so Gary, which Greyhawk god is your personal favorite?

I'm partial to St. Cuthbert, since he's a real world figure too, which I find intriguing.

I also like Fharlanghn and Celestian quite a bit, and Pelor and Rao are old stand-by default goodness gods. Dalt is neat too.

Perhaps a more relevant question: to what degree do you think the human cultural regions should go with the gods. As in, should folks in Perrenland worship mostly Flannae gods, or does it not matter? To me, it doesn't much matter.

 

[Rakin]

I feel bad for you, dude. I don't know if precisely what you describe exists, but there are gamers who are VERY serious about the game, and very into playing the character "right" instead of winning the game. It's best to have a mix of both, I find. Any player who pays attention and cares is a good player, IMO.

Thanks and that's what I'm basically interested in finding. I envy you. On the up side I just found two gentlemen in my area that seem very promising and I'm penning up a campaign as we speak. Perhaps the dark days are over.

 

[Nathan P. Mahney]

So, I was wondering... what was the first ever monster killed by a PC in D&D?

 

[jokamachi]

Happy to answer...

When I was contemplating the denizens for the vasty subterraneal realms I determined to create some interesting races to populate the underdark. As with the drow, the Illithids came mostly from my imagination after a spark of inspiration. For the drow it was the dictionary mention as dark elves. For the mind flayers it was the cover of Brian Lumley's paperback book, The Burrowers Beneath. the thirs race was the Kuo-toans, but they provved to be less popular... Simple as that

Cheers,
Gary

Hi, Gary,

It took me a while to get back to that initial question, but I appreciate the answer nonetheless. How about a follow-up? Of all the mosters that you have created for this game we love so much, which one surprised you the most? By that, I mean, which one had the greatest impact on the game and adventurers alike?

Lastly, are there any creatures that haunt you to this day? Any that killed any of your beloved characters? Creatures you wish you HADN'T created?

Sincerely,

jokamachi

 

[Col_Pladoh]

So, I was wondering... what was the first ever monster killed by a PC in D&D?

A giant centipede, with the 1st level PCs played by my son Ernie (fighter) and daughter Elise (cleric)

Cheers,
Gary

 

[Col_Pladoh]

Hi, Gary,

It took me a while to get back to that initial question, but I appreciate the answer nonetheless. How about a follow-up? Of all the mosters that you have created for this game we love so much, which one surprised you the most? By that, I mean, which one had the greatest impact on the game and adventurers alike?

Lastly, are there any creatures that haunt you to this day? Any that killed any of your beloved characters? Creatures you wish you HADN'T created?

Sincerely,

jokamachi

Rating the impact of monsters is pretty well impossible. Consider dragons and drow, then think of orcs and giants. Impossible to determine which are more meaningful in the many, many campaigns that have been run, are being consucted now.

I enjoy playing the part of any challenging monster or NPC, making the players feel their PCs' are in dire peril, for that is entertainment. Of course as a player I am anxious when faced by such a threat to my PC

About the worst monster I faced with Rob's iron golem that could levitate, breathe fire, and was armed with a whip causing petrifaction and a poisoned sword. that critter did for both Mordenkainen and bigby, and only a wish restored things

Two outstanding mosters in my memory of past adventures with me as the DM are the pair of black dragons that were loosed by the PCs on a level of Greyhawk Castle and Obmi the dwarf NPC that all the chaps got to really hate

Cheers,
Gary

Cheers,
Gary

 

[Col_Pladoh]

Greetings Seekers!

Just got my copy of James M. Ward's spanking new fantasy yarn Midshipwizard Halcyon Blithe. It's a hardback from Tor, and I urge you to pick up a copy right away. Jim is an excellent writer, and this is surely the first of what I trust will be a long and successful series about the hero, Halcyon Blithe. One reviewer likened the story to a cross between C.S. Forrester and J.K. Rowling!

Check Amazon of you buy online.

Pass the word around, do

Cheers,
Gary

 

[Nathan P. Mahney]

A giant centipede, with the 1st level PCs played by my son Ernie (fighter) and daughter Elise (cleric)

Cheers,
Gary

As ever, your memory astounds. I couldn't tell you what the first monster killed in my first ever game was, and that was only 16 years ago! (I can tell you that the whole thing ended in a TPK at the hands of a white dragon because I was so eager to fit in every monster in the game...)

I was surprised it was a giant centipede. I thought maybe a kobold, or a goblin, or maybe a rat of some kind. I was hoping for kobold, as I have a soft spot for the little fellows...

 

[Col_Pladoh]

As ever, your memory astounds. I couldn't tell you what the first monster killed in my first ever game was, and that was only 16 years ago! (I can tell you that the whole thing ended in a TPK at the hands of a white dragon because I was so eager to fit in every monster in the game...)

I was surprised it was a giant centipede. I thought maybe a kobold, or a goblin, or maybe a rat of some kind. I was hoping for kobold, as I have a soft spot for the little fellows...

I recall the adventure fairly well as it was my first as a DM.

Later in the long session of exploration, the two itrepid adventurers came upon the lair of several kobolds, slew two and the rest fled. They found an iron chest filled with coins...several thousand copper pieces--that was too heavy to move. A big disappointment, that, for the centipedes had been nesting in a pile of refuse in which there was located a nice peice of jewelry

Cheers,
Gary

 

[Deogolf]

Rating the impact of monsters is pretty well impossible. Consider dragons and drow, then think of orcs and giants. Impossible to determine which are more meaningful in the many, many campaigns that have been run, are being consucted now.

I enjoy playing the part of any challenging monster or NPC, making the players feel their PCs' are in dire peril, for that is entertainment. Of course as a player I am anxious when faced by such a threat to my PC

About the worst monster I faced with Rob's iron golem that could levitate, breathe fire, and was armed with a whip causing petrifaction and a poisoned sword. that critter did for both Mordenkainen and bigby, and only a wish restored things

Two outstanding mosters in my memory of past adventures with me as the DM are the pair of black dragons that were loosed by the PCs on a level of Greyhawk Castle and Obmi the dwarf NPC that all the chaps got to really hate

Cheers,
Gary

Cheers,
Gary

Hey! Barren Trolls are pretty scary! Especially when your surrounded by them and your an ecclesiastic and you can't hit jack-squat!!