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.

 

[belegost]

While I am most happy to have new participants pick up the LA game as their primary RPG, or as a change of pace "second system", I most certainly hate to see that happen for the reason you note The ignorant attacks and prejudice against D&D are very unpalatable to me, and not mainly becuase I wrote so much of the game, but because those charges are so awfully wrong!

I should be clear and state that this is a side effect of looking at LA certainly not my primary reason. I'm up for a change of pace and rules light sounds great. As for tracking of points, we have a few adult players (dads of other players) that can help out as needed. Thanks for the info.

As for the ignorance in the attacks on D&D, they've frustrated (disgusted) me for years as well. I spent long hours debating with my parents in the early '80s after I had my AD&D books confiscated. Thankfully, my parents sat down and took the time to look things over and discuss them with me before rendering a final verdict (and returning my books).

As for those that think Video Games have replaced D&D in the parental consciousness, I have had to sit down and explain away the myths to nearly EVERY parent that isn't a gamer. I am happy to report that most are very open minded as long as you take the time to discuss the matter and offer to have them a chance to sit in on the game (wish more would accept).

No doubt the charges are false, the educational benefits of playing an RPG (as long as it doesn't become an obsession) are significant. My initial response to such irrational fear/hatred toward the game is to lash back, but then I remember that as a gamer it is in my best interest to represent the hobby responsibly so we can continue to grow or at least maintain our numbers. Friendly comunication and sharing breaks down many of the barriers and is helping me to grow my small group.

Thanks again Gary. I don't want to cut into your writing time but felt a response was in order. Looking forward to future releases. Time to get back to the TV and see if the Packers can pull this one out in the 4th.



Michael

 

[Col_Pladoh]

As for those that think Video Games have replaced D&D in the parental consciousness, I have had to sit down and explain away the myths to nearly EVERY parent that isn't a gamer. I am happy to report that most are very open minded as long as you take the time to discuss the matter and offer to have them a chance to sit in on the game (wish more would accept).


Michael

Hi Michael!

To get to the gist of things, happy to hear that rules-lite sounds good to you, and the younger gamers should take to the system easily. What I must do here, though, it to give you a tip of the old hat for the above. Great to hear that articulate explanation clears up confusion and dispells ignorance

Cheers!
Gary

 

[Caedrel]

Thanks from me too

Hello Gary,

I too just wanted to say "Thank you" for hanging around, posting your thoughts, and most of all for being both honest and yet restrained in pretty much everything except your enthusiasm and passion for gaming.

I saw this thread late in the piece (it was up to page 8, I think) but spent 2 hours reading through everything on Saturday morning. While I think LA is probably a bit too rules light for my taste, it's been wonderful to see everyone - including yourself - acknowledge it as just that, a matter of taste. It's so easy to belittle things (and people) we don't like that I applaud you for your maturity in not doing so.

Thanks for the fascinating and enlightening window you've given me into an activity I am having a blast with, and all the best with your latest project(s)...

Cheers!

 

[Paul_Klein]

Hey Gary! I live about 20 minutes south of you (Woodstock, Illinois), but I travel to Lake Geneva probably twice a month with my girlfriend to walk on the beach... one question tho: I don't know if you go out much on Friday or Saturday evenings... but Lake Geneva seems to attract the loudest most annoying teenage joyriders in the midwest! I'm scared just to DRIVE in that town on the weekends. HOW do you put up with it?

HAHA once time my girlfriend and I were sitting on a bench in downtown LG one Friday evening watching all the cars drive by. I swear, in 30 minutes, we saw 4 or 5 different guys in souped-up cars drive up that same street 10 times. Either they're desperatly trying to impress girls, or they need a HOBBY! Like...say... oh nevermind

Oh wait... I actually do have a game-related question...

What happened to the Game Guild? I know that it moved several months back, but it moved to a smaller building that's *completely* hidden from view by some smoke-shop. Why the move?

 

[Col_Pladoh]

Re: Thanks from me too

Hello Gary,

I too just wanted to say "Thank you" ...

...It's so easy to belittle things (and people) we don't like that I applaud you for your maturity in not doing so.

...

Cheers!

My pleasure, and welcome

One thing is easy. I am "mature," shall we say, even though I haven't gtown up By that I mean experience has taught me that everyone has their own gaming preferences, and it is not a matter of "good" or "bad" in all, save in light of one's own preferences. In short, saying you like something better than someone else does doesn't make you right or them wrong. Also, disputs and invective don't gey my undies in a bunch. Some folks just enjoy being nasty for one reason or another--mainly a sort of "look at me" syndrom I have come to believe. Likely most of those folks are really okay, just need some maturity and some camaraderie.

Cheers,
Gary

 

[Col_Pladoh]

Hey Gary! I live about 20 minutes south of you (Woodstock, Illinois), but I travel to Lake Geneva probably twice a month with my girlfriend to walk on the beach... one question tho: I don't know if you go out much on Friday or Saturday evenings... but Lake Geneva seems to attract the loudest most annoying teenage joyriders in the midwest! I'm scared just to DRIVE in that town on the weekends. HOW do you put up with it?

HAHA once time my girlfriend and I were sitting on a bench in downtown LG one Friday evening watching all the cars drive by. I swear, in 30 minutes, we saw 4 or 5 different guys in souped-up cars drive up that same street 10 times. Either they're desperatly trying to impress girls, or they need a HOBBY! Like...say... oh nevermind

Sure, and I know Woodstock p[retty well. It has sure gotten big over the years since first we used to drive down there as teenage kids looking for something to do. That brings me to the LG crowd.

As a resort town Lake Geneva changed from family vacation spot to young-folks hot-spot in the 1950s. As a teenager we would be out every weekend looking for girls. Being locals we knew which weekends were best, as they would alternate. One weekend a lot of guys would be in town, and we'd quit patrolling early then. Next weekend, when the girls had spread the word that there were five guys for every one of them, and vice versa, we'd sure be out and about

Now that I'm well past that stage, it's easy to just stay home on weekends--go to someone else's house, ot hit a place out of town where the kids don't go.

BTW, my house is a block and a half from the library pary, two from the beach. Most of the traffic is centered around the MAin & Broad area and the beach, of course, so it's pretty quiet here even on busy weekends.

And as a teenager I was usually in one of those cars endlessly circling. Finally we caught on to the fact that walking around was the way to meet girls. Then we parked the car and did just that... In fall-spring we did indeed pursue something other that girls--games!

Oh wait... I actually do have a game-related question...

What happened to the Game Guild? I know that it moved several months back, but it moved to a smaller building that's *completely* hidden from view by some smoke-shop. Why the move?

Don Perrin and MArgaret Weis sold the iperation, and now Dennis Harsh (a former member of my gaming group and a really great guy) manages the Game Guild. They moved to the second floor of that big mall-type building on the corner of Main and Mill street because of cost. Maintaining it in its second location--the two places on Broad and Dodge Streets--wasn't possible unless they bought them from Don & Margaret.

I agree with you that the new place is like a "blind ale house"--as if purposefully hidden to keep the uninitiated away. That's not by design. They need sinage--neon and large. I don't think that they'll get it though

I'd hang out there, play games and all, but as with most places these days, it's "no smoking." About half of my group smokes, myself included, so we prefer to be in less restrictive surroundings...and we can tip a brew here too

Cheerio,
Gary

Cheerio,
Gary

 

[Grigori]

Hey, Gary! An off the wall question--- What, if any was the relationship between dreggals and barghests in Gehenna? Barghests seem more powerful, but dreggals had the bigger role in the Gord novels... Also, did you ever develop creatures native to the Plane of Arcadia--seems that this plane in particular was neglected. Thanks!

 

[Col_Pladoh]

Hey, Gary! An off the wall question--- What, if any was the relationship between dreggals and barghests in Gehenna? Barghests seem more powerful, but dreggals had the bigger role in the Gord novels... Also, did you ever develop creatures native to the Plane of Arcadia--seems that this plane in particular was neglected. Thanks!

Here I am again after thinking I had slipped off this hook...

In developing some nasty inhabitants for Gehenna, I figured that the dreggals would be the mnost populos, not the mots powerful. Thus you see lots of them in action--the proverbial cannon fodder for the greater creatures behind them. They carry out the tasks assigned, are expendable.

I never did get sround to creating a population for Arcadia, as that plane was not one that I envisioned as playing much of a role in the great struggle. Before that none of my players ever got sent to that place, so being a typically busy and harries DM, I didn't spend time working on something that seemed unlikely to be a factor in the campaign. Evenmtually I would have gotten around to it, mainly to toss something really different into the mix, but...

Cheers,
Gary

 

[Helspar]

This has probably already been asked before, but what inspired D&D to transition from a game apparently played among a group of friends to published material?

We all read about the formative sessions of Chaainmail and D&D, does copies of the original rules still exist somewhere in that fabled spiral notebook?

And why was the use of a die 20 elected for use over say a die six or percentile system?

 

[grodog]

briefcase tourney/Good King Despot's replacement?

Gary,

Back in the day, you commented that you used to carry a copy of The Abduction of Good King Despot for use at tourneys and cons as a pick-up game. Once you published that adventure, what have you carried around since?