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]

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

It's so cool to know that . . . wow, I'm such a geek!

 

[haakon1]

Maure Castle

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

Sounds very familiar! Knowing the Rob & Gary story on switching DM's for Maure Castle, we switched DM's too, so I was on the player side for Maure Castle.

I purposefully didn't know what the adventure contained, and we also got at least two PC deaths by the golem, before figuring out how to take it out. Some lower level folks escaped to a Rope Trick. Those who were slain were revived with a wish.

I was very happy that my big bad fighter, who couldn't hit a barn all day, finally got a crit or two to take out the big bad boss monster, like it was easy.

 

[Col_Pladoh]

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

funny you should mention that...

My LA game group just concluded the second session against a brangle of Barrens Trollkin, and neither of the two Ecclesiastic Order Avatars were ablt to effectvely hit those little beggars Fortunately for them there were some other, able, fighters there, and an Enchanter that did some nasty things to the jarl leading the 300 nasty little Alfar. the Trollkin managed to slay a bit over half the company of newly recruited soldiers the Avatars are leading, though, taking somewhat worse losses themselves, and losing a jarl and fouir chiefs which was too much for them so they ran away.

Cheers,
Gary

 

[Col_Pladoh]

It's so cool to know that . . . wow, I'm such a geek!

You're a geek?

Here I am telling about the matter...


Gary

 

[The Druid Merlin]

Pardon me, but when I think of paladins I don't just think of knights in shining armor on horseback, I think of Patton driving his tanks through Africa and the Alps. I think of Patton slapping the shell shocked solider and calling him a coward. I think of Patton praying on his knees and swearing like a stable boy. I think of MacArthur disobeying Truman because he thought that Truman was timid before Communism and because he felt that he would make a better Commander in Chief. Remember there's requirement for sanity. These are just my opinons.

 

[Col_Pladoh]

Pardon me, but when I think of paladins I don't just think of knights in shining armor on horseback, I think of Patton driving his tanks through Africa and the Alps. I think of Patton slapping the shell shocked solider and calling him a coward. I think of Patton praying on his knees and swearing like a stable boy. I think of MacArthur disobeying Truman because he thought that Truman was timid before Communism and because he felt that he would make a better Commander in Chief. Remember there's requirement for sanity. These are just my opinons.

Stated as a true non-fantasy buff

Cheers,
Gary

 

[RFisher]

Gary & Frank, I'd be interested if either of you dropped in on this thread & gave a little background on the original purposes of the RPGA & any other thoughts on the subject.

 

[Col_Pladoh]

Gary & Frank, I'd be interested if either of you dropped in on this thread & gave a little background on the original purposes of the RPGA & any other thoughts on the subject.

I'll yield the floor to Frank on the thread you have going. The RPGA was his mission when he was brought on board TSR.

As the one who conceived of the organization and managed to have the TSR board of directors approve it, I will say that the purpose of the RPGA was to promote roleplaying in general and the TSR RPGs in particular--he who pays the piper calls the tune. Of course I wished to reward loyal gamers too, and so amongst the other benefits of the association I got a scholarship going. Sadly, the Blumes put an and to that before a trust fund could be established.

Cheers,
Gary

 

[Nathan P. Mahney]

You're a geek?

Here I am telling about the matter...


Gary

Hey, I'm the one who specifically asked about it....

 

[Geoffrey]

Gary, my favorite AD&D modules of all are your D trilogy of modules (Drow and Kuo-Toa!). In the modules as published, they are set under the Sulhaut Mountains in the World of Greyhawk. Where were these adventures set before you published them and created the World of Greyhawk as published? Were they in America? Another continent? And where exactly on the continent?