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.

 

[Henry]

Gary, no questions, I just wanted to pop in and offer a quick wish for continued health.

 

[grodog]

As always, Gary, thanks for the many answers you provide to the voracious appetite of we fans

I hope your health continues to improve, and that we'll be able to see you at some of the conventions this year: are you planning to attend the GAMA Trade Show, Origins, GenCon, or any other shows in 2005?

 

[Col_Pladoh]

A Note for Steverooo

I noticed in another thread that you were looking for the email addy of Noj. Drop me an email, and I'll send it to you amigo. Jon is a great fellow, and he was offline for too long a time. It is good to have him back and writing adventure material again too

Gary
ggygax@genevaonline.com

 

[Anabstercorian]

OD&D

Dear Awesome Guy,
I'm considering starting an OD&D game, partly because I'm a little exasperated with the current edition of DnD (it's not you, Monte, it's me) and partly because I can download the Rules Cyclopedia and all the other supplements for the price of a new 3e book. However, there are a few house rules I'd like to check with you, and see what you think.
1) AC goes DOWN? What the frell? Reverse AC's so AC 0 = AC 20 and Thac0 is replaced with a base to hit bonus. I believe the 'base to hit' would be mathematically equivalent to 'Thac0' if the 'base to hit' were equal to 20, minus the Thac0, so that a Thac0 of 20 would be a +0 base to hit and a Thac0 of 0 would be a +20 base to hit, yes?
2) Is there any way you think I can beef up the value of Charisma, or do you think I'm incorrect in my presumption that it needs beefing?
3) Would I be inordinately wussing out if I allowed characters to re-roll stats until they got at least one 16 in a prime requisite score (or whatever is required for demihumans) so they can get a +10% experience bonus?
4) I'm planning to deal with the "well, there goes my Magic Missile for the day" problem of classes that suck a bit at lower levels by requiring everyone to have at least two characters, preferably of different classes, possibly more. Granted, they wouldn't all come out for every adventure, but it would give them the chance to round out their repertoire, and build a stable of 'spares' should some of their number fall to foolish play or bad luck.
5) Do you get experience points just for GETTING magical items? I remember something like that in the manual, but for the life of me I can't find it. The closest I can see is a warning not to give full XP value for the GP earned by people selling magical items to crazy rich people.

 

[Col_Pladoh]

Howdy Anabstercorian,

Hate to possibly disapoint you, but as the D&D game belongs to WotC, I really don't feel comfortable cmmenting on any aspect of it, from OD&D on through AD&D to the new version. About all I can offer is that whatever changes you make that seem right for you and your players are likely fine, but be prepared to alter things if something new doesn't work out in actual play.

Charisma can be made more meaningful by allowing it to function as a sort of limited Charm spell for humans and humanoids, perhaps with the one saving against its effect getting a +1 on the die for each point below 18 (to 15, or +3) of the character's score.

Cheers,
Gary

 

[ColonelHardisson]

Hi Colonel!

the only such list I know of is one I keep in my long bio--not all articles but the more substantial works. It is updated by me every few months, and there's still a lot of material in the publication pipeline, so i'll have to do that soon. It doesn't have LA Essentials, the Hall of Many Panes, or additions to the Gygaxian Fantasy Worlds reference book series that are coming this year. Fact is, I don't think it has the Castle Zagyg campaign module on it, but I haven't sent the bio out for some months.

Cheers,
Gary

Well, first, I just want to welcome you back and wish you good health. Second, thanks for the info. Let us know when an updated bio is available, please, if you would.

Y'know, I've been reading through Dave Hargrave's original "Arduin Grimoire" trilogy of late, and I was wondering what you thought of his work (assuming you're familiar with it, of course).

 

[Anabstercorian]

Quite alright, sir. I do have to say, it's a crying shame that you've been rendered so separated even from the editions of Dungeons and Dragons you had a direct hand in.

I may bother you for C&C advice at a later time, however, so do not lose heart! Your relevance is unscathed.

 

[Col_Pladoh]

Well, first, I just want to welcome you back and wish you good health. Second, thanks for the info. Let us know when an updated bio is available, please, if you would.

Y'know, I've been reading through Dave Hargrave's original "Arduin Grimoire" trilogy of late, and I was wondering what you thought of his work (assuming you're familiar with it, of course).

Thanks Amigo,

I get to the long bio seldom, about twice a year when I need to supply it to someone for their article or like sort of work.

I never read the Arduin Groimoire in toto, but from those parts I did peruse I must confess I held in in no esteem...especially the part about baby fat.

Cheers,
Gary

 

[ColonelHardisson]

I never read the Arduin Groimoire in toto, but from those parts I did peruse I must confess I held in in no esteem...especially the part about baby fat.

Hmmm...I must've missed that section!

By the way, I picked up a copy of the Lejendary Adventures "Essentials" boxed set recently released by Troll Lord. I'm intrigued. I put off picking up LA when I heard Troll Lord was going to release an edition of it. From what I gather, there will be a more weighty volume coming down the pike soon, is that correct? Does this edition vary much from the original?

Also by the way, I picked up the Castles & Crusades player's book, particularly because I had heard that you'd be doing some work for that game. It does harken back to D&D of old in many ways, and seems to be a fine game. I prefer a bit more rules detail in my games (you shoulda seen the phone-book thick house rules the guys I gamed with back in the early 80s had for 1e!), but C&C (and LA, at least "Essentials") seem well-suited for introducing newbs (of any age, but adults in my case) to RPGs. Anyway, I'm also looking forward to "Hall of Many Panes" and "Castle Zagyg," both of which sound like they're gonna be very much to my liking.

 

[Col_Pladoh]

Hmmm...I must've missed that section!

It was in spell components, as I recall from my reading back c. 1979

By the way, I picked up a copy of the Lejendary Adventures "Essentials" boxed set recently released by Troll Lord. I'm intrigued. I put off picking up LA when I heard Troll Lord was going to release an edition of it. From what I gather, there will be a more weighty volume coming down the pike soon, is that correct? Does this edition vary much from the original?

The LA Essentials game has the same rules as the complete system. Only some Abilities with many Powers, and spells for those Abilities included in the primer set are fewer too, and magic items are cut back because of space reasons.

The Trolls will be publishing a couple of core rules additions paperback books--adding game material, not more than a few pages of rules. Thereafter the five paperback books will be put together into a revised edition of the Lejendary Adventure game in three hardback books. Before that happens the supplement on Shamanism & Witchery, fun but optional to the system.

Also by the way, I picked up the Castles & Crusades player's book, particularly because I had heard that you'd be doing some work for that game. It does harken back to D&D of old in many ways, and seems to be a fine game. I prefer a bit more rules detail in my games (you shoulda seen the phone-book thick house rules the guys I gamed with back in the early 80s had for 1e!), but C&C (and LA, at least "Essentials") seem well-suited for introducing newbs (of any age, but adults in my case) to RPGs. Anyway, I'm also looking forward to "Hall of Many Panes" and "Castle Zagyg," both of which sound like they're gonna be very much to my liking.

Heh, and the C&C rules are about as rules light as the LA game, and that's why I play it as readily as I do--mostly from OAD&D memory

The HOMP is a campaign setting that should take no fewer than 50-70 game sessions to complete and stretch the players' skills to the meximum.

CZ, Yggsburgh, Part One is a complex campaign setting for even longer term play. If I can ever get to feeling well enough to pick up design work again, the whole of the castle and dungeons will be the centerpiece for dungeon-crawl adventuring, of course. However, the base has a lot of scenario material, including several dungeon areas.

Cheers,
Gary