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.

 

[francisca]

Yes.

As for autographing, I do indeed have signing sessions at conventions--the Lake Geneva Game Convention at the end of July and the Canadian National Gaming Expo at the end of August.

Cheers,
Gary

Greetings Gary!

I'll be at the LGGC, with my Efreet covered DMG, eagerly awaiting your pen! Preregistered last week, and am greatly looking forward to the event.

Cheers!

 

[TerraDave]

Heh...

Advice well taken, I must agree.

However, it is bootless to have champagne tastes on a beer pocketbook

As with a Scotsman who can drink any given amount, I am always up for a bottle of premier grand cru class Bordeaux or Burgundy, vintage French champagne, ancient armagnac or cognac, old ports and sherries, top shelf liquor of any sort, and real ales and similar micro-brewery potables. As for gin, Bombay Sapphire is about as good as it comes, no Of course I no longer imbibe to excess, gray hair bringing me that wisdom...

Ciao,
Gary

And as summer follows spring, the talk returns to food and drink (or at least drink!).

And speaking of summer, now is the time for cold fruity drinks: daiquiris, margaritas, mai thais. I had a "mangorita" at a Thai place last night...that was good...I could go for another right now...

 

[Col_Pladoh]

Do you know of any conventions near OR?

Sorry,

I don't try to keep up with all the gaming cons that are being held. You might try a web search for that.

I can sat that the first GenCon was graced by the presence of one Jerry white from Portland, IIRR. He brought his "Siege of Bodenberg" miniatures and castle, causing me to become a deotee of the Hauser 40mm figurines

Cheers,
Gary

 

[Col_Pladoh]

Greetings Gary!

I'll be at the LGGC, with my Efreet covered DMG, eagerly awaiting your pen! Preregistered last week, and am greatly looking forward to the event.

Cheers!

That's fine

Don't hesitate to bring it and any other treasured item you'd like me to sign right up to me and let me know you're there for an autograph. It is always an honor for me to do that...except when I am in GMing a game or speaking to a formal audience

Cheers,
Gary

 

[jokamachi]

Gary,

It's been fun to read all of your comments of late; of course dwarven women have beards! How anyone could think otherwise is beyond me!

Anyway, and more to the point, I'm curious to know how you developed the mind flayer. Did you have any source of inspiration or was it designed from scratch?

Sincerely,

jokamachi

 

[Col_Pladoh]

And as summer follows spring, the talk returns to food and drink (or at least drink!).

And speaking of summer, now is the time for cold fruity drinks: daiquiris, margaritas, mai thais. I had a "mangorita" at a Thai place last night...that was good...I could go for another right now...

Right! One must prioritize

I usually drink gin & tonic in warm weather, although a rum drink is refreshing. When we were in Santa Monica some years back our host directed us to a saloon near the north end of the beach that served "Kick-ass Margaritas" that were absolutely delicious...and potent. Sadly, I have to watch my salt intake these days, so that sort of spoils the drink for me :\

Cheers,
Gary

 

[Col_Pladoh]

Gary,

It's been fun to read all of your comments of late; of course dwarven women have beards! How anyone could think otherwise is beyond me!

Anyway, and more to the point, I'm curious to know how you developed the mind flayer. Did you have any source of inspiration or was it designed from scratch?

Sincerely,

jokamachi

Happy to answer...

When I was contemplating the denizens for the vasty subterraneal realms I determined to create some interesting races to populate the underdark. As with the drow, the Illithids came mostly from my imagination after a spark of inspiration. For the drow it was the dictionary mention as dark elves. For the mind flayers it was the cover of Brian Lumley's paperback book, The Burrowers Beneath. the thirs race was the Kuo-toans, but they provved to be less popular... Simple as that

Cheers,
Gary

 

[TerraDave]

Right! One must prioritize

I usually drink gin & tonic in warm weather, although a rum drink is refreshing. When we were in Santa Monica some years back our host directed us to a saloon near the north end of the beach that served "Kick-ass Margaritas" that were absolutely delicious...and potent. Sadly, I have to watch my salt intake these days, so that sort of spoils the drink for me :\

Cheers,
Gary

The G&T, always a classic, and readily found in any former part of the British Empire (or actually pretty much anywhere on earth these days). Ginn is also pretty good with grapefruit juice....there are plenty of low sodium alternatives

 

[palleomortis]

That's fine

Don't hesitate to bring it and any other treasured item you'd like me to sign right up to me and let me know you're there for an autograph. It is always an honor for me to do that...except when I am in GMing a game or speaking to a formal audience

Cheers,
Gary

And then, with a mighty roar, the dragon lept toward you and..'OH!!! IT'S YOU! YOU'RE..YOU'RE...YOU'RE GARY GYGAX!!! CAN I HAVE YOUR AUTOGRAPH!!!

 

[Col_Pladoh]

The G&T, always a classic, and readily found in any former part of the British Empire (or actually pretty much anywhere on earth these days). Ginn is also pretty good with grapefruit juice....there are plenty of low sodium alternatives

I do enjoy a Gordon's and orange juice, an orange blossom if you will. A nice Bombay Sapphire martini, straight up, a drop of vermouth and perhaps a drop of contreau with stilton cheese-stuffed olives is a good appetizer, as is a gibson with sweet onions, no vermouth at all.

Don the Beachcomber's that was once in Malibu did a great Navy Grog with Rum 181 that was a near psychedelic experience, much better than the Dark & Stormy drinks favored in Bermuda.

Nothing tastes the same as the salt on the rim of the margarita class though

Cheerio,
Gary