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]

My very first D&D 3.5 group basically collapsed because of this problem. They just woudn't flee no matter what. Then they got upset when their 1st level characters almost died and pretty much demanded (in not so many words) that I make their characters invincible by fudging the rolls constantly.

Just so

Most of the players in my campaign, all of my own PCs, were never too proud to take to their heels when the opposition was clearly overwhelming. In fact, a good bit of thrilling adventure went into some of the ensuing chases. When Mordenkainen and bigby met their fate at the hands of Rob's super iron golem, it was bacause they hadn't the means to escape quickly, not that they didn't wish to beat feet

As a DM I made lemonade out of the "lemons" of the new players' reluctance to flee, to stand and die before a foe that was trashing them. That is how the Old Guard Kobolds came into being, and they have grown in both individual ability, numbers, and organizarion so they now pose a meaningful threat to PC parties of 4th or 5th level. Sadly, a group of such PC that were veterans took ost of them out, but iw was a casual play session, so I won't count it against the little humanoids

Cheers,
Gary

 

[haakon1]

My very first D&D 3.5 group basically collapsed because of this problem.

What's the matter with kids today?

Seriously, I'm OK with there being rules for "everything" in the universe in 3.x, and for PC's to eventually be able to do them all, but the emphasis on "balance" in adventures is lame.

Unbalanced "life is like a box of chocolates", kobold in one room, dragon in the next is part of the spirit and the danger of adventuring. I LOVE being able to have a party see their progress in power by nearly being TPK'd by random encounter wolves at 1st level, and not even slowing down to waste a dozen of them at 9th level.

I figure Bilbo Baggins faced TROLLS at 1st level, and survived, and it was exciting.

My latest 1st level party is in the Sunless Citadel, and the troll in there is not nerfed either . . . if they are foolish enough to release it, they'd better smarten up and run. So far, I haven't faked one die roll in this campaign . . . I was thinking of converting a natch 20 on the first monster attack in the game -- two giant centipedes in homage to Gary's answer about the first monsters fought in the game -- but a player saw it and said "Oh crap" before I could lie. So, so far exciting, knowing when I saw, "Darn, one more hp on that hit and you'd be dead!" that I actually mean it.

 

[Col_Pladoh]

...

Seriously, I'm OK with there being rules for "everything" in the universe in 3.x, and for PC's to eventually be able to do them all, but the emphasis on "balance" in adventures is lame.

Look! there in the dungeon. It's a iron golem. No it's a titan. No, it's Supermunchkin!


Cheers,
Gary

 

[gideon_thorne]

Look! there in the dungeon. It's a iron golem. No it's a titan. No, it's Supermunchkin!


Cheers,
Gary

Thats when you take the captured baby rust monster from the last encounter and throw it at the iron golem. Dinner! THEN run like a rabbit.

 

[Col_Pladoh]

Thats when you take the captured baby rust monster from the last encounter and throw it at the iron golem. Dinner! THEN run like a rabbit.

A solid plan, but Mordie uses polymorphed monsters, hits them with a dispell magic after they are tossed into the midst of the adversary or adversaries

Cheers,
Gary

 

[gideon_thorne]

A solid plan, but Mordie uses polymorphed monsters, hits them with a dispell magic after they are tossed into the midst of the adversary or adversaries

Cheers,
Gary

All very well, squire. But I wasn't one for the high level magic-users. I played the steathly and tricky thief and or ranger sorts. ^_^

 

[merelycompetent]

A solid plan, but Mordie uses polymorphed monsters, hits them with a dispell magic after they are tossed into the midst of the adversary or adversaries

And we thought we were clever for polymorphing fire giants into ants, back in G3. We didn't think of the followup dispel until later on when a drow used one on us in a narrow hall -- and we discovered that our party magic-user had been collecting the ants! (Our DM's description of the ensuing wrestling match stopped the game for over an hour while we mopped up spilled drinks and recovered from laughing so hard.)

Thank you, Mr. Gygax, for providing myself and many friends with much entertainment over the years.

A question, though, and my apologies if it has already been asked (couldn't find it in the archives): Was the red dragon in G3 part of some plot by the giants or their drow allies? There is an old bet riding on the answer, and I may owe a long-time friend a two-liter of Coca-Cola.

 

[Treebore]

I definitely hate the attitude that it is the DM's job to keep the PC's alive. I agree that I should leave them the ability to run, but I think everything else is up to them.

Then again, I love Tomb of Horrors, Lost Caverns of Tsojanth, and all the other "killer" dungeons. I like bragging rights. Whether it is for having survived or died in the most gruesome and/or original manner. Or for having died 8 times, and every time being from failing to save versus the death/20 poison. 8 consecutive failed saves against the same type of poison. Thankfully the DM decided my obvious allergy towards it had become severe enough that I would break out in hives and have a sneezing fit just from coming within 5 feet of it. Decanter of Endless Water became my great "wash the poison away" friend.

 

[MutieMoe]

Where the idea of alignments came from? I find this particulary interesting as it is one the game mechanics that directly describes personality of the character in question. When and why the need for alignments came in to play?

 

[Col_Pladoh]

And we thought we were clever for polymorphing fire giants into ants, back in G3. We didn't think of the followup dispel until later on when a drow used one on us in a narrow hall -- and we discovered that our party magic-user had been collecting the ants! (Our DM's description of the ensuing wrestling match stopped the game for over an hour while we mopped up spilled drinks and recovered from laughing so hard.)

Hydra snails are the specialty of Mordenkainen, many attacks in one, as it were.

There is a danger of having the polymorphed critters released by a hostile spell caster, so a container within an anti-magic shell is advised. Otherwise a debacle such as you mention is all too likely

Thank you, Mr. Gygax, for providing myself and many friends with much entertainment over the years.

You are most welcome, and as I am wont to point out, I surely shared in the fun, still do!

A question, though, and my apologies if it has already been asked (couldn't find it in the archives): Was the red dragon in G3 part of some plot by the giants or their drow allies? There is an old bet riding on the answer, and I may owe a long-time friend a two-liter of Coca-Cola.

The dragon was there as a part of the muscle of the fire giants--for attack and defense. It was not a part of a singular plot, but there as a general member of the overall one.

Cheers,
Gary