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.

 

[RFisher]

A bit of both. A good DM has read the rules, knows the spirit of the game, and is aiming at captivating his player audience with the fantastic experience of the campaign, so he can make up what is necessary on the spot.

Digging around in rules books is much the same as having the film break or the TV station experience transmission difficulties during an exciting program...a loss of the unagined participation.

So, as a player, what do you do when the DM has seemingly forgotten a rule? When he seemingly misapplies a rule? What if he comes up with an ad hoc rule that you don't feel fits the spirit of the game? What if you think his ad hoc rule isn't quite fair even if it is within the spirit of the game?

What if you have made a decision based on a particular rule, but--had you any inkling that the DM would interpret it differently than you did--you would've made a different decision?

 

[Aeolius]

Gary,

Were there any beasties from the 1e days (and prior... I respect anyone who puts a tuatara in their monster lists) that you considered to be "classic", that never seemed to catch on with the masses?

 

[Col_Pladoh]

Hi RFisher,

As a player the DM is omnipotent. You might try to plead your case, especially one of rule interpretation and altering actionbecause of the difference, but if he doesn't want to listen, you loose, Buckwheat! Zip your lip and accept with stoic grace.

Should this spoil your gaming enjoyment, thell your DM exactly what is bothering you. If an accommodation can be reached, fine. If not, leave the group and find a DM that is more acceptable to your concept of how one should be. In such case I am sure the DM won't miss you nor you him

Cheers,
Gary

 

[the black knight]

Hey Gary,

Once again, thanks for your responses. I found them quite insightful.

If you don't mind, I'd like to pick your brain on the subject of magic items and artifacts. How many artifacts have you introduced into your campaigns over the years? Have any had a detrimental effect upon the campaign? Do you regret introducing such an item?

Alternatively, which items have generated the most fun in your campaigns? Were there any items that seemed mundane but turned out to be pivotal, camapign changing events?

Lastly, how do you feel about characters creating their own magic items? Does that remove the excitement of discovering such magic? Does it better facilitate characters in the long run? Should it be reletively easy the way it has become of late?

Curious,

the black knight

 

[Col_Pladoh]

Gary,

Were there any beasties from the 1e days (and prior... I respect anyone who puts a tuatara in their monster lists) that you considered to be "classic", that never seemed to catch on with the masses?

That is something I had not considered.

Upon reflection I have to say no, the "architypical" monsters were pretty well accepted across the board and included by DMs...includine many very clever variations and permutations.

What astonished me was the players' being smitten with the drow, desiring to play a PC of that race. I devised them as a most unlikable, ruthlessly evil subterranean race. To cater to the demand, the Drow were made into realtively more warm and fuzzy sorts. I can only liken that into changing Hannibal Lector into a visiting nurse.

All that said, do you find that some "classic" critters to be generally ignored?

Cheers,
Gary

 

[Gentlegamer]

To cater to the demand, the Drow were made into realtively more warm and fuzzy sorts. I can only liken that into changing Hannibal Lector into a visiting nurse.

Do you regret catering to that demand (or any other demand)?

 

[Col_Pladoh]

Last but by no means least:

Hi Edena,

In genaral I concur with the restrictions you placed on m-es, but I find some overboard to my way of thinking., Certainly there are no magic shops selling any form of real items. However, added spells upon level gain as given in the OAD&D PHB are reasonable. A magic-user doesn't just spring up full-blown. Ine must be an apprentice, so there are plenty of higher level mages around. The m-u's former master, or an associate of his or hers, will assuredly train and provide the fledgling wizard with one or more new spells for a service and perhaps some added payment in magic items. Also there might well be a m-u's guild in many of the larger cities. At such place the PC spell-caster can petitin for membership, pay initiation fee and regular dues, and be entitled to use the guild library.

You ignore completely magic scrolls. In my campaign the majority of new spells gained were those copied from a scroll, thus destroying it and losing any XPs that might have been gained from its possession.

Finally, I do find that the end result you suggest is too dominant a figure in a campaign, although that does underscore why I devised a good deal of the material in the UA book that beefed up fighter-types

Cheers,
Gary

 

[Col_Pladoh]

Do you regret catering to that demand (or any other demand)?

Don't look at me when you ask that question, for I had nothing to do with the making of the Drow into more namby-pamby sorts, their males on a par with the females

The demands I regret catering to are the ones for adding psionics to OAD&D and the adjustments for weapons vs. armor. I am delighted I refused to do detailed encumbrance tables as a number of vocal fans advocated.

Cheerio,
Gary

 

[Col_Pladoh]

Hey Gary,

Once again, thanks for your responses. I found them quite insightful.

If you don't mind, I'd like to pick your brain on the subject of magic items and artifacts. How many artifacts have you introduced into your campaigns over the years? Have any had a detrimental effect upon the campaign? Do you regret introducing such an item?

Welcome of course.

As I recall only one minor artifact was introduced to in my campaign. Son Luke's PC discovered it when he met a deadline for finding a needle in a haystack by burning the latter. He thus gained the Spear of Zagig. When the pin was held and commanded to become a weapon a d8 was rolled, the result determining the weapon and its attack bous, with 1 being a +1 dagger, 2 a +2 short sword, all the way to a +8 pike.

This was a most humerous artifact from the DM perspective, and I never regretted adding it to the campaign.

Alternatively, which items have generated the most fun in your campaigns? Were there any items that seemed mundane but turned out to be pivotal, camapign changing events?

Ring of Contrariness
Wand of Wonder
Any talking magic sword

There were no items that had more than a restricted, tactical impact on the campaign.

Lastly, how do you feel about characters creating their own magic items? Does that remove the excitement of discovering such magic? Does it better facilitate characters in the long run? Should it be reletively easy the way it has become of late?

Curious,

the black knight

Mages of over 20th level cancreate their own magic items, as they are not going to be adventuring in the campaign, nor handing them out to PC that are doing so. Mordenkainen and Bigby stay home and forge and concont such things. they will smetmes trade their work for one or more other magic items that are more valuable.

You want a particular magic item PC, you can not buy it ir make it! Go out and quest to find it. That is a part of the RPG form now isn't it?

 

[Gentlegamer]

:
The demands I regret catering to are the ones for adding psionics to OAD&D

Is that because of genre considerations? That is, AD&D is pseudo-medieval fantasy where such abilities are inappropriate? Or were the rules themselves simply problematic from a mechanical point of view?