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.

 

[Nagora]

And to think the Brits gave up their proper system of measurement for a French kickshaw. Only the USA won't give an inch in that regard!

The fight's not over yet! We still have miles and pints, lbs and stones. Some of us even try to get furlongs and chains into conversations with youngsters to test their mettle!

The EU has in fact just this year given up trying to completely convert us (preferring to leave it to the government to do it through brainwashing school-children).

 

[Col_Pladoh]

Gary,

Did you ever consider using a vague monotheism à la The Lord of the Rings in AD&D rather than polytheism? I'm assuming not, given things you've said in the past about angels vs. devas, etc. I ask primarily because I've always found the medieval trappings of the game somewhat at odds with its pulp polytheism.

Thanks.

By no means!

As a Christian, playing with actual religion is quite beyond the pale.

Secondarily, the medieval-Renaissance technology has nothing to do with the supernatural aspects influencing the fantasy milieu. It is also noteworthy that the medieval world had a plethora of saints and demons as might a mythological pantheon.

Cheers,
Gary

 

[Col_Pladoh]

...
Which brings me to a question for Gary:

You've mentioned a few times the fact that no one in your campaign would ever have been able to take on a Demon Prince. Yet I think many people would consider Mordy more than so able on his own, let alone with Robilar and some of the other "big names" in tow.

I think this reflects a general difficulty for DMs to really get to grips with the level of challenge such an opponent is supposed to represent (for instance, there is an active thread over at Dragonfoot's 1st edition forum about why Asmodeus is a whimp because he "only has 199" hit points).

In broad terms, Gary, how would you recommend a DM doing justice to the power of the top ranks of the Evil planes when encountered by high level PCs?

Such deital figures are so far beyond ant effects by mortals that I would simply give a warning to that effect, then:

Asmodeus (or whomever it was the PCs were contemplating assaulting) would send in a few companies of devils (or demons) so as to have some entertaining sport to amuse him for a time. When he tired of that, it would be time do something such as begin killing each of the offending mortals slowly with his power, drawing out their soul if not protected from him by some other like deity, and sending it off to suffer in one of the hells or a layer of the abyss.

If: "Hey! you can't do that because X isn't like that in the book," so what? Who says that the information in that work is correct in regards to deities? Do you imagne they are going to reveal their secrets to the likes of you?

Cheers,
Gary

 

[JamesM]

As a Christian, playing with actual religion is quite beyond the pale.

To clarify, in case it wasn't clear, I didn't mean to suggest that you might have included Christianity in AD&D. It was always obvious you intended the game to be a fantasy and not a historical simulation. However, Professor Tolkien, a devout man himself, took the monotheism route for Middle Earth. It seems a very unusual one for fantasy, though I've never been sure why.

Secondarily, the medieval-Renaissance technology has nothing to do with the supernatural aspects influencing the fantasy milieu.

Would you mind expanding on this slightly? Are you simply saying that D&D's supernatural trappings were a separate creative choice from the decision to include medieval technology rather than one being the outgrowth of the other?

It is also noteworthy that the medieval world had a plethora of saints and demons as might a mythological pantheon.

True enough, although I've never really viewed saints or demons as being even the functional equivalents of polytheistic deities.

 

[Raven Crowking]

True enough, although I've never really viewed saints or demons as being even the functional equivalents of polytheistic deities.

I do; as a result I have a hard time seeing LotR as being as monotheistic as Tolkein intended.

RC

 

[Col_Pladoh]

The fight's not over yet! We still have miles and pints, lbs and stones. Some of us even try to get furlongs and chains into conversations with youngsters to test their mettle!

The EU has in fact just this year given up trying to completely convert us (preferring to leave it to the government to do it through brainwashing school-children).

Don't forget spans, cubits, rods, and leagues.

The science teachers really did their best to tout the metric system to us in school, but it is so non-intuitive that if one is used to inches, feet, and yards, ounces, cups, pints, quarts, and gallons, the millis, centis, and kikos just don't cut it. For a tome they showed distances in kilometers on the Interstate highways, but that's now pretty much a thing of the past, and only miles are given.

The US never did get into the use of stones of weight. Had a stone been 12 rather then 14 pounds, I suspect the measurement would have caught on. 12 is a great base number!

What has been pretty well lost is the peck and bushel dry measurements. Those are non-intuitive as well, perhaps.

Cheerio,
Gary

 

[Nagora]

True enough, although I've never really viewed saints or demons as being even the functional equivalents of polytheistic deities.

I think you'll find that that was exactly what saints were intended to be. Many early saints were in fact just local deities with "Saint" slapped in front of their name and a quick hagiography scribbled on the nearest piece of parchment. Saint Brigid is a classic of the genre - from fire goddess (Holy Day 1st Febuary - my birthday) to saint (Feast day: 1st Febuary) in a single bound!

 

[Col_Pladoh]

To clarify, in case it wasn't clear, I didn't mean to suggest that you might have included Christianity in AD&D. It was always obvious you intended the game to be a fantasy and not a historical simulation. However, Professor Tolkien, a devout man himself, took the monotheism route for Middle Earth. It seems a very unusual one for fantasy, though I've never been sure why.

I suggest that Tolkien rather than monotheism had no religion in Middle Earth. There were no priests, no religious services, no formal prayers

Would you mind expanding on this slightly? Are you simply saying that D&D's supernatural trappings were a separate creative choice from the decision to include medieval technology rather than one being the outgrowth of the other?

Just so.

The level of technology need not be tied to social organization, culture, political system or degree of working magic. After all, in a fantasy world the paramaters are set by the game system that it is to control its laws and the one designing it.

True enough, although I've never really viewed saints or demons as being even the functional equivalents of polytheistic deities.

There is a parallel of sorts to be drawn there, however, especially in regards to the netherrealms' heirarchy.

Cheerio,
Gary

 

[Darkwolf71]

You've mentioned a few times the fact that no one in your campaign would ever have been able to take on a Demon Prince. Yet I think many people would consider Mordy more than so able on his own, let alone with Robilar and some of the other "big names" in tow.

Speaking of "Big Names", are there many non-spellslingers payed in your games that might be well known? I mean everyone knows Mordenkainen, Bigby, Tenser, etc. For the iconic spells which bear their names. What of the sword and board types? Any that stand out?

On a side note, you've probobly answered this before, but are the characters of Gord, Curley Greenleaf and co. based on PCs or were they created specifically for your novels?

 

[DarkKestral]

What has been pretty well lost is the peck and bushel dry measurements. Those are non-intuitive as well, perhaps.

Cheerio,
Gary

Actually, Gary, the bushel's still used a lot in the commodities trade for grain in the US. If I recall correctly, in many cases, it's also used internationally as well, though the kilo's becoming more common for taxation. I think the standard trading unit is 1000 bushels. However the size of a bushel of grain or any dry food item compared to the amount of something the average person uses renders it useless for the normal person, as an average family rarely has need of 30-60 lbs. of any single item (rice can be an exception, as can oats and other feed for those who still own livestock.)