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.

 

[SuStel]

Fred? Is that you? It's me, Barney......

Shale I smack you now or later? That one hit rock-bottom.

 

[S'mon]

Silver and cold iron were reputed, in mythology, to have a variety of mystic properties. They were a pure channel for various sorts of forces. Depending on what one was going up against, the efficacy of the tool used varied. Also effective against faerie beings were items made out of ash and rowan, and a few other forms of botanical defense. There's a big pile of information out there and a fair number of books in the local literary shops that cover a wide range.

Thanks Gideon, I do know all that - and that cold-pressed (ie stamped) ironware was said to be inimical to fairies, as a sign of encroaching mundanity and modernity. But while you might have a stamped-iron box or broach, it's not practical for weapons. 3e/WotC ended up making "cold iron" basically a rare, magical, mithril-ish sort of stuff, the reverse of the cold-pressed iron myth.

 

[gideon_thorne]

Thanks Gideon, I do know all that - and that cold-pressed (ie stamped) ironware was said to be inimical to fairies, as a sign of encroaching mundanity and modernity. But while you might have a stamped-iron box or broach, it's not practical for weapons. 3e/WotC ended up making "cold iron" basically a rare, magical, mithril-ish sort of stuff, the reverse of the cold-pressed iron myth.

Heh. Isn't that odd? I always liked the complexity of myth and folklore better myself.

 

[haakon1]

Thanks Gideon, I do know all that - and that cold-pressed (ie stamped) ironware was said to be inimical to fairies, as a sign of encroaching mundanity and modernity. But while you might have a stamped-iron box or broach, it's not practical for weapons. 3e/WotC ended up making "cold iron" basically a rare, magical, mithril-ish sort of stuff, the reverse of the cold-pressed iron myth.

Nod, the whole thing is confusing. When I hear "cold iron", I think of "cold steel", which seems to mean military weaponry in poetic speech. I also think about the sword-making scene in Conan, where they cool the red-hot blade in snow. I also think about all the steel-making stuff in "Highlander" and wonder if it's supposed to mean Toledo-Salamanca steel, or high carbon steel.

Wikipedia has an interesting entry on it, referencing D&D and Kipling:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cold_iron

 

[Griffith Dragonlake]

Inspiration for talking and magic-using dragons?

Hi Gary,

Starting with OD&D (1974), all dragons had a % chance to talk, and all but the white dragons a % chance to use magic.

What was your inspiration for talking and/or magic-using dragons? I'm at a loss to find any European mythological or pre-20th century literary sources for magic-using dragons (aside from the East Asian ones).

 

[Col_Pladoh]

Thanks be!

The elemental puns are no longer being compounded.

Never have I been subjected to such stretches of the art form in my life


Gary

 

[Col_Pladoh]

Hi Gary,

Starting with OD&D (1974), all dragons had a % chance to talk, and all but the white dragons a % chance to use magic.

What was your inspiration for talking and/or magic-using dragons? I'm at a loss to find any European mythological or pre-20th century literary sources for magic-using dragons (aside from the East Asian ones).

Howdy,

Actually, you have the source of that inspiration, the Oriental treatment of dragons. It seemed a good idea to me to enable Occidental dragons to be able to converse and use magic in order to make them more dangerous and complex.

Christmas best wishes,
Gary

 

[Man in the Funny Hat]

Thanks be!

The elemental puns are no longer being compounded.

Never have I been subjected to such stretches of the art form in my life


Gary

Then we should take great paints to avoid them even though the temptation to do so is like having an itch you can't sketch.

 

[Col_Pladoh]

Then we should take great paints to avoid them even though the temptation to do so is like having an itch you can't sketch.

Okay. I'll easley hue to your line...even if I think you did it in gesso.

Happy Christmas,
Gary

 

[The Great Bear King]

Howdy,

Actually, you have the source of that inspiration, the Oriental treatment of dragons. It seemed a good idea to me to enable Occidental dragons to be able to converse and use magic in order to make them more dangerous and complex.

Christmas best wishes,
Gary

Hello Gary,

Speaking of complex dragon related ideas; I started toying around with the thought of an adventure based around the usual task of rescuing a princess or other child of nobility from a centuries-old dragon. The twist is that the king or other noble was overspending and borrowed money from the same dragon to pay for armies and other costs. Part of their contract stated that should the king or nobleman default on his loan payments for more than three months the dragon can by right of contract claim the king's or noble's eldest unmarried daughter as collateral. If he pays the dragon in one month’s time the king's daughter will be returned unharmed if she so wishes. Otherwise the dragon keeps her as an employee. The king or nobleman has about 400,000 gold in debt to the dragon. I have three questions for you Gary, what color (red, green, black, ect.) would the dragon be, what would the alignments of the dragon and king/nobleman be and what level would this adventure be suitable for? I was partially inspired by the dragons as bankers thread on Giant in the Playground forums and by Belteshazzar's, Xuincherguixe's and Hectonkhyres' posts in particular.