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.

 

[Treebore]

Howdy Amigo,


...You are too kind, and I can not accept such gifts, but the thought surely counts

See you either this vcoming January (the next proposed LGGC) or in the more clement June weather for LGGC III.

Cheers,
Gary

Now I am anxious to see if your "dragon" will let you say no. Unless you mean there is some kind of legal reason you would have to refuse. If that is the case then I won't tempt your dragon. Otherwise, don't worry about it. It is a gift, free of all "attachments". If nothing else consider it a reciprocating gift for all the intangible and priceless gifts your game has given me over the last 20+ years.

Besides, it won't be so "valuable" as requiring a reporting of it to the IRS. It will be well below $5,000.00. Plus I won't be giving you anythng that will hurt me to do so.

Anyway, I'll bring it. If you still have to say no, so be it. I won't be offended, just dissappointed. But I will understand and not hold it against you. OK?

January LGGC? Where is that being discussed? I've missed anything about it on the Trolls messageboards.

 

[Wik]

Absolutely!

The old adage of one picture being worth a thousand words is applicale to being a GM. It even forced me into making crude sketches
Would I was able to properly draw... :\

Cheers,
Gary

Yeah, I *wish* I could draw. I *really* wish I had an artist in my group who could artistically recreate a lot of the scenes that have happened to our gaming group. Sort of my "at the table" fantasy, if you will.

Which begs the question, since I'm here anyways... how many of those old D&D drawings were inspired by actual, at-the-table events? To give an example, Emirikol the Chaotic in the DMG... that piece always made me think that it was the artist's personal favourite character, and he decided to immortalize the character in print.

 

[Col_Pladoh]

Now I am anxious to see if your "dragon" will let you say no. Unless you mean there is some kind of legal reason you would have to refuse. If that is the case then I won't tempt your dragon. Otherwise, don't worry about it. It is a gift, free of all "attachments". If nothing else consider it a reciprocating gift for all the intangible and priceless gifts your game has given me over the last 20+ years.

Besides, it won't be so "valuable" as requiring a reporting of it to the IRS. It will be well below $5,000.00. Plus I won't be giving you anythng that will hurt me to do so.

Anyway, I'll bring it. If you still have to say no, so be it. I won't be offended, just dissappointed. But I will understand and not hold it against you. OK?

January LGGC? Where is that being discussed? I've missed anything about it on the Trolls messageboards.

My dragon has a double handful of quarts "gems" of c. 200 to 1200 carat weight each, most at the upper end We have some of them in a "treasure chest" with foreign coins and glass "jewels" and even a phoney gold dubloon.

In her costume jewelry collecting, seldom selling (am I daft! ) wife Gail has acquired a few little semi-precious faceted stones. Alex set a blue topaz from that collection into a silver ring he made for her when in school. should have had an aqua', but..

That sounds like way too much for a gift. If you insist I might accept a few low value stones of pretty color and exchange some gaming material for them, sort of like John Dunbar did with the Dakota in Dances with Wolves I really enjoy watching that flick

Davis and I sort of cooked up a second LGGC. I lobbied hard for one in mid-October bit the Trolls personal family conisderations mitigated against that, so not Davis is urging Steve to do a January con just as TSR used to have Winter Fantasy as a small event here. It is not absolutely set yet, but there is a fair to middling change it will happen.

Cheers,
Gary

 

[Col_Pladoh]

Yeah, I *wish* I could draw. I *really* wish I had an artist in my group who could artistically recreate a lot of the scenes that have happened to our gaming group. Sort of my "at the table" fantasy, if you will.

Yes! A captive artist there to illustrate as you direct. Waht a great boon that would eb to the GM and theplayer group alike...save for the enslaved artist

Which begs the question, since I'm here anyways... how many of those old D&D drawings were inspired by actual, at-the-table events? To give an example, Emirikol the Chaotic in the DMG... that piece always made me think that it was the artist's personal favourite character, and he decided to immortalize the character in print.

Indeed, I gave little art direction, figuring that there were others more able to come up with something worthwhile than could I. In short, only the illustrator concerned can answer such questions, as they played their cards close to the vest.

Cheers,
Gary

 

[Treebore]

My dragon has a double handful of quarts "gems" of c. 200 to 1200 carat weight each, most at the upper end We have some of them in a "treasure chest" with foreign coins and glass "jewels" and even a phoney gold dubloon.

In her costume jewelry collecting, seldom selling (am I daft! ) wife Gail has acquired a few little semi-precious faceted stones. Alex set a blue topaz from that collection into a silver ring he made for her when in school. should have had an aqua', but..

That sounds like way too much for a gift. If you insist I might accept a few low value stones of pretty color and exchange some gaming material for them, sort of like John Dunbar did with the Dakota in Dances with Wolves I really enjoy watching that flick

Davis and I sort of cooked up a second LGGC. I lobbied hard for one in mid-October bit the Trolls personal family conisderations mitigated against that, so not Davis is urging Steve to do a January con just as TSR used to have Winter Fantasy as a small event here. It is not absolutely set yet, but there is a fair to middling change it will happen.

Cheers,
Gary

Deal! Maybe I'll risk bringing along a couple of "favorites" to show you.

Glad the mid-October timeframe didn't work out. To soon after GenCon! The January dates I can probably make, depending on weather and my kids school needs. July should be for sure, especially if I don't make the January LGGC.

Plus I want to make Troll Con V in March in OK.

 

[Blustar]

Here's the next thread in the Q&A session.

I'll take this opportunity to state formally that I will be a GoH at next year's GenCon, number XL

Peter has also invited Len Lakofka, so Stephen Colbert, take note!

Cheers,
Gary

I've never made it to GenCon but I'm starting a slush fund now. GenCon or bust!!!
I hope to see you there...


Blue

 

[Nathan P. Mahney]

Dang, Treebor!

That's impressive to me, especially because I love gemstones, mainly the colored ones...perhaps set off by diamonds or pearls... I'd love a chest full of diamonds, corundum and other colored gemstones to admire even if those stones were a penny a carat!

So much about the game suddenly makes sense!

- Nathan P. Mahney -

 

[Col_Pladoh]

I've never made it to GenCon but I'm starting a slush fund now. GenCon or bust!!!
I hope to see you there...


Blue

Heh,

Actually, you should come to the small and intimate Lake Geneva Game Convention, but everyone should attend Gencon at least once inn their life. It is the largest and has the most exhibits of any other gaming event.

If you do make it, be sure and look me upm and don;t be shy about speaking to me, I am just another gamer, one with a neurotic compulsion to write stuff as well as play stuff

Anyway, I ain't hard to recognize, and I'll likely be at the Troll Lord Games booth pretty often. I am told that they'll have a four-space island next year, so the booth shoould be fairly easy to locate.

Cheers,
Gary

 

[Treebore]

Yep, 4 spaces on the end, instead of one hard to spot out of the way space. They will even have Peter set up doing his art sales/stuff in their area.

 

[Col_Pladoh]

Yep, 4 spaces on the end, instead of one hard to spot out of the way space. They will even have Peter set up doing his art sales/stuff in their area.

Gee, it has been a long time since I was in a booth autographing where I was lucky to get about a yard of space. With the Trolls having four tables it's likely I can get a yard and a third

Cheers,
Gary