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]

Gary, I've been wondering for a while what was your inspiration for some of the gods of Greyhawk. Specifically I've been wondering about Erythnul, Zagyg, and Wastri

Erythnul, the many, really kind of reminds me that old movie, Clash of the Titans. In one part of the movie skeletons spring up from the ground where the hydra's teeth had been sown. In the same way, where ever Erythnul's blood spills, monsters spring up. What was your inspiration for Erythnul?

I can see that Zagyg is Gygax spelled backwards (With Z replacing the X). I've read somewhere the Zagyg was originally a mortal who ascended to godhood. Was he originally one of your PCs?

And, I've been wondering about Wastri for a long time. The god of bigoty and human superiority is depicted as being slimy and toad like. The way he is depicted almost seems to be poking fun at some of the various hate groups.

Anyway, I would appreciate your response.

Heh, well...

Zagig/Zagyg is based on a sort of joke--me as the mad designer of Greyhawk Castle and its dungeons. After all, how else could such a place exist? Zagig was never a PC, only an NPC played by me...

Erythnul was my conception, and it was inspired by need in the pantheon being created, and the "Demon of Blood & Seed" from Hindu mythology provided the conceptual basis for one of his capabilities.

Wastri, ah, a favorite of mine. His original appearance was in an early, never fully published (rightfully so) novel called THE GNOME CACHE. In withdrawing to the marshes to live a life of cntemplation, Wastri found only that he loves batrachians, that hunting small demi-humans with giant toads was amusing sport, and the only enlightment he received was from the first used to roast prey taken. Perhaps it was a comment on extreme conceits of religious sort....

Gary

 

[Col_Pladoh]

I think you're talking about Castle GarHack here. My question was about this post of Rob's:

[snippage]

What do you think about that idea? Apart from "my God, what a mountain of work!"

As a pragmatist, I discount the idea entirely. I believe that Kenzer has licensed the old material, WotC will not have the least interest in adding it to the OGL, so the speculation is to no useful end. IMO there is only one possible route open--other than genericiziing the material and publishing it thus.

right you are about monumental tasks too. In any form the project is one of great length and like effort.

Cheerio,
Gary

 

[PatEllis15]

Gary: Wow, took me about an hour to read through all this, thanks for your your time and effort (both here, and back when you wrote D&D!)

Curius if you can comment on WotC/Hasbro's marketing strategy.

WotC has elected to push adventure development to Dungeon, and have released only a few adventures for 3E (The "Adventure Path" series). Further, they figure that with the OGL, that the market will be flooded with adventures, but that the OGL will help sell more PHB's, DMG etc.

From you knowledge with LA, and your past experience as the head of TSR, do you think this was/is wise?



To follow up, What I have always enjoyed about Greyhawk was the skeletal feel that you gave it. The adventures you published provided glimpses of the detail that lied beneath the surface, and provided many idea's that a DM could use to flesh out the world a bit more.

Was this purposeful, or by design?

Not being familiar with DJ or LA, did you use the same approach with the gameworlds for those systems?

Pat E

Taro Sarask

 

[Col_Pladoh]

Gary: Wow, took me about an hour to read through all this, thanks for your your time and effort (both here, and back when you wrote D&D!)

Ah, welcome, and if only it had taken me so short a time to read and respond

Curius if you can comment on WotC/Hasbro's marketing strategy.

WotC has elected to push adventure development to Dungeon, and have released only a few adventures for 3E (The "Adventure Path" series). Further, they figure that with the OGL, that the market will be flooded with adventures, but that the OGL will help sell more PHB's, DMG etc.

From you knowledge with LA, and your past experience as the head of TSR, do you think this was/is wise?

Without critiquing what WotC/Hasbro has and is doing, I can say that my management philosophy for a game company is quite different from theirs. Of course Hasbro is a mass-market toy and game company.

The OGL and D20 are clever moves that are, in my estimation, meant not only to support the 3E game but also to capture more of the RPG market by broadening the base audience for it by having other games covert to the D&D base system.

I would not have done that. I would certainly have licensed at low royalty select companies to provide support material, though. Such product would then have the game logo on it too.

To follow up, What I have always enjoyed about Greyhawk was the skeletal feel that you gave it. The adventures you published provided glimpses of the detail that lied beneath the surface, and provided many idea's that a DM could use to flesh out the world a bit more.

Was this purposeful, or by design?

Not being familiar with DJ or LA, did you use the same approach with the gameworlds for those systems?

Taro Sarask

Heh, and it was done with purposeful design. I sought to create an interesting, even compelling, base from which the GMs could work so as to create campaigns and adventures with sufficient of their own input, the "group personality" if you will, so as to allow each to be a unique expression.

Yes, in general I did that with the DJ/MYTHUS system--as some hace noted, the EPIC OF AERTH is near a generic fantasy world--and likewise this holds true for the LA game world, the LEJENDARY EARTH. In it I have provided for near endless expansion and variation through "portal anamoly" areas and portals to parallel worlds.

Cherio,
Gary

 

[ColonelHardisson]

As you did in posting, eh?

Anyway, hasn't Morrus ever heard of a "loss leader"?

Oh, well, never mind that; not a good analogy...

Cheerio,
Gary

Well, sure, Gary, I don't want this thread to fall off the page. I'd rather it was stickied to the top also, but that's beyond my control. Posting to the thread isn't, though. Just because I've differed with you on occasion about some things doesn't mean I'm not a huge fan. You'd be surprised how much common ground we have.

Aww, jeez, now they're gonna call me a wild-eyed fanboy. Oh well.

Full Thrust might be a game you'd enjoy. It's a good, solid starship combat game.

I was wondering about your reaction to the death of Poul Anderson not too long ago. I know you were a fan of his.

 

[Col_Pladoh]

Well, sure, Gary, I don't want this thread to fall off the page. I'd rather it was stickied to the top also, but that's beyond my control. Posting to the thread isn't, though. Just because I've differed with you on occasion about some things doesn't mean I'm not a huge fan. You'd be surprised how much common ground we have.

Frist, what would we learn, and what fun would be had, if we all agreed on everything? So no to fret in the least that your POV has now and then differed radically from mine. Of course I am usually right, so you should vote for me... Wait, forget that. It's
from an upcoming political speech,

Full Thrust might be a game you'd enjoy. It's a good, solid starship combat game.

I was wondering about your reaction to the death of Poul Anderson not too long ago. I know you were a fan of his.

Possibly, even likely I would, because I enjoy playing most good games. Finding time and opponents is the trick. I will make time to play OPERATION OVERLORD at the drop of a hat, for example. Unfortunately for me, not many takers hereabouts. LAst game I played Peter Adkison was the British, I was the US, and sone Luke was the Germans. Another Allied victory

Yes, I was saddened to learn that Poul Anderson had passed away. Another of the F&SF giants whose work I am so fond of is now gone. At least his writing remains, but no new work <sigh>

Ciao,
Gary

 

[Deedlit]

Why were gnomes put in? Hobbits/Halflings, Elves, Dwarves, and Humans had a clear origin in the works of Tolkien(Which seem to be the basis), and Half-Elves were there(Albeit uncommon.) and Half-orcs existed, though they were merely villains. But what was the purpose of the gnomes, and what was their inspiration?

 

[Col_Pladoh]

Why were gnomes put in? Hobbits/Halflings, Elves, Dwarves, and Humans had a clear origin in the works of Tolkien(Which seem to be the basis), and Half-Elves were there(Albeit uncommon.) and Half-orcs existed, though they were merely villains. But what was the purpose of the gnomes, and what was their inspiration?

A fair question!

Indeed, the number of JRRT fans who were potential D&D gamers encouraged me to include races like those in his works in the game. Dwarves, of course, are common in a lot of myth, German and Schadanavian. The elves in D&D were not those of the Rings Trilogy, but hobbits/halflings were that. As a reader of fables, fairy tales, fantasy, and myth for a long time before the work of JRRT was in print, adding another choice, the gnome, seemed a good thing, as in fantasy the former elemental had become more an archetypical "fairy" race. Inspiration came from extensive reading, and of course designing the race to fin the D&D model was not a great challenge

Cheerio,
Gary

 

[Breakdaddy]

I'm having a damned hard time trying to find Lejendary Adventures. I want to check it out for a few minutes and maybe purchase it if it fits my gaming needs. Unfortunately, I've been unable to locate anything for it at my local game retailer. I've mentioned this to the store owner, but he kinda shrugged it off. He is a bit of a smug bastard anyhow.

 

[Col_Pladoh]

I'm having a damned hard time trying to find Lejendary Adventures. I want to check it out for a few minutes and maybe purchase it if it fits my gaming needs. Unfortunately, I've been unable to locate anything for it at my local game retailer. I've mentioned this to the store owner, but he kinda shrugged it off. He is a bit of a smug bastard anyhow.

Retailers need to be supported, especially those who provide gaming facilities, carry a broad line of RPGs, know their products, and encourage gaming. Display space is valuable, inventory costs money, so naturally a shop will want space used for high-demand products...especially if the staff aren't broadly knowledgeable, are more order-takers that salespersons. All that said, when the Hekaforge Productions line is carried by many distributors, Alliance at the top of the list, why a shop that doesn't stock the products will not special order for a customer is simply beyond me! It is their loss--not merely the sale but potentially the customer too.

If you go to www.lejendary.com you will find an exposition of the products, information regarding the LA game system, and a link to RPGme. They handle online orders promptly.

Sorry that your local supplier is so unresponsive to your requests. We do our best to promote and support brick & mortar game outlets, but if one refuses to serve gamers, it deserves to lose their custom

Cheers,
Gary