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, 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?

I wrote the D Series after the G ones, and both were set in the Flanaess, for by that time I had finished the world settng. It was easier for me to use it, what with the complete map and all

Cheers,
Gary

 

[Steel_Wind]

Hi Gary!

Me and a bunch of the guys in my gaming circle (who have for the most part been playing since the 70s) were thinking of coming down to the Canadian National Gaming Expo in Toronto this coming weekend to get your autograph - thank you in person and generally freeze up like Ralphie about to ask Santa Claus for a BB gun ("And what do you want for Xmas little boy? A football? Ok. Get him out of here")

Do you know when you'll be appearing at the con? The posted schedule is - shall we say - less then exact in that regard.

Thanks in advance.

 

[Col_Pladoh]

Hi Gary!

Me and a bunch of the guys in my gaming circle (who have for the most part been playing since the 70s) were thinking of coming down to the Canadian National Gaming Expo in Toronto this coming weekend to get your autograph - thank you in person and generally freeze up like Ralphie about to ask Santa Claus for a BB gun ("And what do you want for Xmas little boy? A football? Ok. Get him out of here")

Do you know when you'll be appearing at the con? The posted schedule is - shall we say - less then exact in that regard.

Thanks in advance.

Howdy Steel Wind!

We'll be rolling in on Friday in the afternoon sometime, and I'll be at the Troll Lord Games booth, 919 according to my information, a good deal of the time. I have a couple of seminars and a final D&D game round to DM on Sunday, but otherwise I'll be autographing there--and likely run a scratch LA game Saturday around 1 PM for up to 9 players.

Be sure and stop by, and don't be shy about greeting a fellow gamer

I do love that show about Ralphie and the BB gun for Christmas. As a kid growing up around that very time, I wanted a Red Ryder model from Daisy very much. Mother refused, so I mowed lawns the summer I was 10 and bought a slightly less expensive Daisy lever action BB gun for myself, kept it hidden from plying parental eyes for the whole of the year, and it was revealed only the following spring, when fate allowed me to keep it

Cheers,
Gary

 

[Anson Caralya]

Hello Gary! Sorry if these issues have been addressed elsewhere, as always:

I seldom have so much as a beer during a game session, but indeed Rob and I shared a good deal of Southern Comfort when Ernie and Mark Ratner had their unfortunate encounter with Fraz'urblu, and Erac lost his two Vorpal blades, aylerach the Paladan his two-handed Holy Sword... that sessin was a laugh riot for Rob and me, a sad day for the players

I ask this out of genuine interest in the original GH campaign, not nit-picking: a paladin saw fit to consort with Erac's Cousin? Soul-selling Erac's Cousin? Or was this prior to his change of heart? (Despite the absence of the possessive and "Cousin" in your post, I assume we are talking about the fighter/magic-user of that nameless name.)

And an unrelated question for you: shortly after "Isle of the Ape" appeared (1985?), I clearly remember reading a catalog listing for another upcoming very high level adventure of yours, something to do with the Shadowland and ... a wedding? Am I deluded, or was a project meeting that description in the works at some point? And what became of it?

 

[Col_Pladoh]

Hello Gary! Sorry if these issues have been addressed elsewhere, as always:

I ask this out of genuine interest in the original GH campaign, not nit-picking: a paladin saw fit to consort with Erac's Cousin? Soul-selling Erac's Cousin? Or was this prior to his change of heart? (Despite the absence of the possessive and "Cousin" in your post, I assume we are talking about the fighter/magic-user of that nameless name.)

What caused you to leap to such a conclusion? Ernie had several PCs including Tenser, Serten, and Erac. As I recall, it was Erac that was adventuring with Aylerach in the case in point, not Erac's Cousin, the unnamed and unnamable

And an unrelated question for you: shortly after "Isle of the Ape" appeared (1985?), I clearly remember reading a catalog listing for another upcoming very high level adventure of yours, something to do with the Shadowland and ... a wedding? Am I deluded, or was a project meeting that description in the works at some point? And what became of it?

Shadowland was a module that Skip williams and I were in process of writing when the trouble came and I left TSR. I suggested thereafter that we complete the wotk, but Skip demurred. No more need be said...

Cheers,
Gary

 

[the black knight]

Hiya Gary,Have you played much of the Castles and Crusades system? If so, how does it hold up to other systems like OD&D? Do you prefer one over the other? I have been tempted of late to try the C&C system (especially with Castle Zagyg imminent), but I suppose I'm waiting for a definitive statement on the system's worthiness. Any advice or endorsements to share?

Thanks a bunch,

TBK

 

[Col_Pladoh]

Hiya Gary,Have you played much of the Castles and Crusades system? If so, how does it hold up to other systems like OD&D? Do you prefer one over the other? I have been tempted of late to try the C&C system (especially with Castle Zagyg imminent), but I suppose I'm waiting for a definitive statement on the system's worthiness. Any advice or endorsements to share?

Thanks a bunch,

TBK

I find the C&C system about as close to OAD&D as is possible under the OGL. Attack and armor are the D20 mechanics, but that's acceptable, even though i am so used to the old ACs and THAC0 that I prefer the latter. I have added some skill bundles in the CZ book, so in all I like the system.

I would slightly prefer OAD&D for the castle, but that can't be. The C&C system is enjoyable...and supported

Of course I prefer the skill-bundle-based, rules light LA game system when I am GMing, and I am using it now for the Yggsburgh adventures my gaming group is engaged in.

Cheerio,
Gary

 

[Anson Caralya]

Gary, thanks for the clarifications (and the astonishing response time!).

What caused you to leap to such a conclusion? Ernie had several PCs including Tenser, Serten, and Erac. As I recall, it was Erac that was adventuring with Aylerach in the case in point, not Erac's Cousin, the unnamed and unnamable

Hmmm, somehow I never realized that there was a PC "Erac"; I thought "Erac's Cousin" was the only character with that name. My mistake .

Shadowland was a module that Skip williams and I were in process of writing when the trouble came and I left TSR. I suggested thereafter that we complete the wotk, but Skip demurred. No more need be said...

Yet another casualty of that time... I'll honor your closing remark and pry no further on that subject. Cheers!

 

[haakon1]

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

Can't we all just geek along . . .

 

[gideon_thorne]

Not when one is trying to aspire beyond the common nerd...

Can't we all just geek along . . .