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 thanks! I will certainly look forward to AsroRogues and I'll probably also adapt my own idea - thinking of calling it Star Riders and having it basically set in a portion of the galaxy once explored and settled by an unknown world of origin (could be Earth, could be something else) and grappling with the loss of central government - I will probably be very influenced by Asimov's Foundation books here.

John

Sure, but...

The AsterRogues FSRPG is sort of a mix of antiquated technology with super science only in regards to non-FTL space vessels and making just about any hunk of rock in the solar system a habitable place. The hard SF isn't there, although it will be introduced in the Lejendary Elder Worlds and its companion setting modules that will take the participants through the galaxy.

Cheers,
Gary

 

[seskis281]

Not a problem - figured the way you described AsterRogues it was less a pure sci-fi concept which is why I'll go ahead and adapt my own separately from it - but I will be sure to also keep a look-out for Elder Worlds down the road as well.

Thanks again!

John

 

[paulsometimes]

Mr. Gygax, I apologize if this has been asked before, but there's too much in the previous posts for me to go through searching for an answer right now.
Futurama has got to be one of my favorite television shows (pity it didn't last longer) and I was wondering how was it you got an appearance on the show (did they apporach you or vice-versa) and how did it feel to have an appearance on the show? Thanks for your time.

 

[John Drake]

Howdy Gary! Just gotta say I'm glad these threads keep on going, they're fantastic! Anyway, I noticed a few posts back there, you mentioned Ian Livingstone and Steve Jackson. I'm fans of they're work as well, and I was wondering what they were like and if you ever really worked with them on anything. As far as I know you haven't but you would know better And, I can't wait to see ya at Gen Con! I was meant to go this year, but couldn't due to a wedding, but me and my group are going all out next year. What great news! Thanks Gary!

 

[Anson Caralya]

Ah well,

I had what I consider a much more interesting plan for the conclusion of the G-D series, one in which the PC party could loose the Elder Elemental god or send him into deeper isolation, thus assisting Lolth to become more powerful. By very astute play, they could have thwarted the designs of both evil entities. The Demonweb Pits were indeed envisioned as mze like, but there were to be no machines therein.

Cheers,
Gary

Gary, any chance we can convince you to give us a bit more on this? I've endured 26 years of Q1 fitting the G and D series as elegantly as a poodle running with a wolfpack. I realize it's late, but a few words about that shadow wolf never glimpsed would be much appreciated.

 

[ColonelHardisson]

What more can I say?

Yeah, I understand what you mean. I was just ruminating.

I guess my reaction to Q1 was much like the assessment of it in that Wikipedia article. The whole nature of the Abyss as portrayed in the end encounter just seemed rather coo-coo, almost light-hearted. Considering the nature of the place, I'd have expected the Abyss to have been more hellish, for lack of a better word. Some of the tangential stuff - Maldev, the plane with the last refuge of good, a dwarven stronghold, about to fall; a world completely overrun by vampires, etc. - seemed a lot more menacing than where the PCs finally beard Lolth in her lair. The end occurring on a mechanical spider that could have the PCs encounter floating smiley faces or flower petals showering out of nowhere just seemed like a strange way to end it. If I ever get a chance to run it again, I'll have to borrow some of your ideas to replace the end gambit.

I have no problem with Queen of the Spiders, the GDQ collection, being ranked at the top of greatest modules. But that's due more to the strength of the Giants and Drow modules, as well as the side treks in Q1, than to Q1 itself. The direction you had intended would have been a cool way to wrap it up.

 

[Col_Pladoh]

Not a problem - figured the way you described AsterRogues it was less a pure sci-fi concept which is why I'll go ahead and adapt my own separately from it - but I will be sure to also keep a look-out for Elder Worlds down the road as well.

Thanks again!

John

Okay

The work on the LAEW game is now commencing, although I can not estimate when anything will be ready for a beta playtest.

Cheers,
Gary

 

[Col_Pladoh]

Mr. Gygax, I apologize if this has been asked before, but there's too much in the previous posts for me to go through searching for an answer right now.
Futurama has got to be one of my favorite television shows (pity it didn't last longer) and I was wondering how was it you got an appearance on the show (did they apporach you or vice-versa) and how did it feel to have an appearance on the show? Thanks for your time.

David X. Cohen's people approached me, and after seeing the script I was happy to agree to the appearance in illustration and do the voice over. It was a lot of fun, and chatting a bit with David was enjoyable, he being a former DM.

Cheers,
Gary

 

[Col_Pladoh]

Howdy Gary! Just gotta say I'm glad these threads keep on going, they're fantastic! Anyway, I noticed a few posts back there, you mentioned Ian Livingstone and Steve Jackson. I'm fans of they're work as well, and I was wondering what they were like and if you ever really worked with them on anything. As far as I know you haven't but you would know better And, I can't wait to see ya at Gen Con! I was meant to go this year, but couldn't due to a wedding, but me and my group are going all out next year. What great news! Thanks Gary!

Heh...

I first met Ian and Steve when I was on a trip to the UK looking for the best possible exclusive distributor for the TSR product line there. When I met those two eager young men I decided that GW was the ticket. Thereafter I spoke with them a good deal, socialized a bit, and approved their plans for promoting the TSR line, but we never did any creative collaboration.

Cheers,
Gary

 

[Col_Pladoh]

Gary, any chance we can convince you to give us a bit more on this? I've endured 26 years of Q1 fitting the G and D series as elegantly as a poodle running with a wolfpack. I realize it's late, but a few words about that shadow wolf never glimpsed would be much appreciated.

Sorry, but not a chance.

Sorry...I haven't the time to spend rehashing something that is long gone from my purview. So many new projects to work on, so little time :\

Cheers,
Gary