Gygax's Legendarium

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GYGAX’S LEGENDARIUM

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Gygax’s Legendarium was a blog originally created to archive some of Gary Gygax’s articles and writings. The site has since gone down, and emails to the original point of contact bounced back, so I’m taking the last archived version of the site and compiling these articles here to keep them alive. This document is not intended as a challenge to any copyrights nor to the work of the original curators of this information on the internet. Rather, it is a compilation meant to increase the longevity (and reach!) of this information, so that the works of Gary Gygax are not lost to domain name cancellation, non-renewal, or other administrative forces of the internet.

I hope this serves as an interesting historical note from one of the creators of Dungeons & Dragons.

A compilation of original articles, essays, and interviews with Gary Gygax.

CREDITS

Editor: Tim Bannock for neuronphaser.com

Original Compilation: gygaxslegendarium.blogspot.com/, Christopher Smith @ lejendary.com, Michael Kasparian @ http:/mux.net/~ulmo/greyhawk/tharizdun.html

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The Battle of Brown Hills

The following article first appeared in Wargamer’s Newsletter #116, November 1971, and is a battle report of a game featuring the rules of CHAINMAIL.

Wargamer’s Newsletter #116, November 1971

Originally posted at The Old Metal Detector at Vintage Wargaming.

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BATTLE REPORT OF THE MONTH

THE BATTLE OF BROWN HILLS (A Fantasy Combat Fought with the CHAINMAIL Rules) by

Gary Gygax

Having run across an old map I had drawn of a mythical continent, complete with many fantastic inhabitants, I decided to use it as the basis for a game. Lake Geneva was to play host to the Madison, Wisconsin, group so I got busy. The “Situation” was described as follows:

“East of the Desert of Sorrow stretches the nearly unbroken barrier of forbidding mountains. Furthest south, dipping into the place where Gnyxyg Sea meets The Ocean, they are called Mountains of Bitter Cold. At the place where the Broken Land joins them they become known as the Home of Dragons, and it is somewhere within their vast area that is hidden the Cave of Shifting Runes. Furthest north they are known as the Giant Mountains, due not to the stature of their peaks – albeit this is undiminished, but rather for the creatures who inhabit the labyrinthine caverns therein. A spur of the chain turns first eastward, then circles north again, to enclose the hidden and unwholesome valley of Lake Iuz. the lesser peaks of the spur are the Dwarfrealm.

On the coast north of the Giant Mountains are the lands called Drearshore, and the peninsula of Lands End. It was from here that Chaos armed its host, swarmed into the Valley of Iuz, and began to harry Dwarves, causing them to flee southwards into the Brown Hills and bringing news of the massing evil to the men of the Old Kingdom. From the town of Yon to the city of Hither the news travelled, and the paladins at Great Keep were called forth by the Count of Aerll. All of Law was to meet in solemn council at the hamlet of Lea. In a short time the men of the Meadowlands were joined by a band of the warlike elves

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from the wood near the Carinstones, as well as a large band of horsemen from beyond the Silent Forest, the eastern border of all the land.

The encampment of the Count was made in the Cloverfields, between Lea and the Brown Hills. It was here that intelligence reached him that the Horde of Chaos had debouched from the pass at the headwaters of the Darkling River, skirted the Marshes of Oozing Slime, and now were only a few days from him. Despite the fact that only three-quarters of his forces had been marshalled, the Count marched at once due west across the narrow waist of hills, and took up a strong position to await the enemy.”

CHAOS: Objective: With all of the northern peninsula under your sway, the time has grown right to extend your holdings into the desirable Meadowlands, the remains of the Old Kingdom, and even beyond! Opposition is certain, and you must defeat it decisively if you hope to cross the Brown Hills and capture the Great Keep. Thereafter you should meet few problems…fail, and you are doomed to retreat northwards, probably forever. Order of Battle: • The Warlock Huldor ap Skree (abilities: Fire Balls, Phantasmal Forces, Spell of Darkness, Conjuration of Elementals). • The Giant King, Verdurmir. • 10 Ogres of Iuz. • 20 Orcs of the Mountains with sword and shield. • 20 ” ” ” ” ” bows. • 20 ” ” ” Vile Rune with sword and shield. • 20 ” ” ” Longspear. • 20 Heavy Infantry, men from Lands End, plus 1 Anti-Hero leader. • 15 Light Horse, men from Drearshore, plus 1 Anti-Hero leader. • 15 ” Horse|archers from Drearshore, plus 1 Anti-Hero leader. LAW: Objective: Yours is a happy land, rich and peaceful. The threat of losing all to the hosts of Chaos is a terrible one and can be met in only one manner — you must [EDITOR: End page 1.]

smash them, and drive them form your land forever. No quarter can be given. Note that if your war chest is taken it will provide Chaos with the monies necessary to equip more forces.

Order of Battle: • Count Aerll, Super Hero, armed with an enchanted sword. • The Magician of Cairn (abilities: Lightening Bolts, Wizard Light, Circle of Protection). • 24 Heavy Infantry plus 1 Hero leader with an enchanted sword. • 20 Medium Horse, men from the East, plus 1 Hero leader. • 10 ” Horse archers, men from the East, plus 1 Hero leader. • 10 Heavy Horse, knights from the Meadowlands. • 12 Elven Archers. • 2 Light Catapults with 10 operators.

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• 3 Wagons, 1 containing the war chest full of gemstones and gold. • 10 Longbowmen plus 1 Hero leader. [EDITOR: An image of The Brown Hills is inserted here with a key for “General Movements” of the armies of Chaos and Law and the Elves.]

Each opponent opened the battle by attacking on the left and holding with the right. Both wizards were stationed in the centre. Chaos was deployed thus: Rune Orcs, Light Horse, Mountain Orcs, Ogres, Giant, Longspear Orcs, Horse archers and men. Law was arrayed so: Medium Horse, Foot, 2 Wagons, Longbows, 2 Light Catapults, 1 Wagon, Count Aerll with 10 Heavy Horse and 12 Elves. When the Giant, orcs, Horse-archers and men on Chaos’ left came forth, the Count charged the Giant while the Knights rode against the Horse archers. As the two mighty combatants were locked in melee the Anti-Hero leader of the Foot rushed up and smote the Count sorely.

The entire right wing of Law began to crumble then, and although the Elves destroyed the Longspear Orcs, Verdurmir and the Lands Enders passed through the catapult fire, destroyed one, and captured the other. In the process all of the Heavy Horse were killed or driven off. The Magician strove in vain to slay the Giant with his Lightening, succeeding only in twice driving Verdurmir back.

In the middle most of the action centred around an Air Elemental which has been conjured, then loosed by ap Skree, vile warlkock that he was. Finally, after waiting over half ot he game to see how the attack on their right and centre was fairing, the Ogres dealt the finishing blows to the army of Law — they and an unexpected visitor!

The charge of the Medium Horse cut through and scattered the Orcs of the Vile Rune, who held the extreme right of Chaos’ position. They continued to hack and slew through their foemen, although they faced Orcs, Ogres and Light Horse. They were forced to withdraw for a short time when the Warlock caused darkness to descend upon the field. However, when the Magician joined in their attack up on the centre, his

[EDITOR: End page 2.]

sorcerous opponent gave up that spell, conjuring instead a Fire Elemental. Alone, the Magician withdrew towards the approaching wagons, hoping to escape with them and the few survivors of the Count’s force. At this point a marauding Dragon passed overhead, espied the treasure, and attacked in a great, fiery greed. His breath shrivelled horses and men alike, including the kind Magician.

All of Chaos was now convergin towards this spot. And although the Dragon attempted mightily to retain his spoil, he was finally killed by Verdurmir, an Air Elemental, and several Ogres (all but one of whom was slain).

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ANALYSIS: The dice really made this battle difficult for Law, for a 3rd turn roll of 11 killed their Super Hero. Nonetheless, they fought on, and their morale dice continued to remain unusually high throughout the game, so it made up for the bad luck at first — at least in part. Had their Wizard been brought into play earlier, the game might have been won by them, for Chaos unnecessarily withheld his powerful unit of Ogres for far too long. Thereafter, they played well and did the proper things in order to retain their victory. Had they lost the treasure, the victory would have been too costly, and no further games would have been fought with this scenario. Chaos was represented by the Madison group, and they opted to stay within the Brown Hills and regroup. Law, as well as the Dragon, were played by our own (LGTSA) members. Survivors of the battle are listed below, and both will receive reinforcements. If the battle at Great Keep goes in favor of Chaos, there will be still other lands to conquer, so we may be fighting this campaign for some time yet. CHAOS: • Warlock • Giant • 7 Ogres • 56 Orcs • 14 Heavy Infantry • 11 Light Horse • 10 Horse Archers • 1 Light Catapult (captured) • 1 Wagon (captured) LAW: • 1 Hero (with magical blade) • 4 Knights • 7 Medium Horse • 8 Heavy Foot • 4 Elves • 3 Longbowmen NOTE: The enchanted sword of the Count Aerll was lost in the field, and Chaos did not search for it. So far, neither has Law enquired of it. [EDITOR: End page 3; end of article.]

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Fantasy Battles The following article first appeared in Wargamer’s Newsletter #127, October 1972, and is primarily an explanation of the purpose and tone of the Fantasy Battles supplement for the CHAINMAIL rules.

Wargamer’s Newsletter #127, October 1972

Originally posted by James Maliszewski at Grognardia.

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FANTASY BATTLES

Gary Gygax

I offer the following details of our fantasy battles:

The rules used are those designed by Jeff Perran and I – CHAINMAIL, Guidon Games, P.O. Box 1123, Evansville, IN 47713, U.S.A., at $2 plus postage [EDITOR: Somebody please write to this and let me know what happens!]. The revised and expanded version should be available by the time this is read. The booklet contains brief information about the scales used for different figure-types, and the expanded edition has things like how fast goblins, orcs and dwarves can tunnel under the walls of a besieged stronghold.

Tolkien purists will not find these rules entirely satisfactory, I believe, for many of the fantastic creatures do not follow his “specifications”, mainly because I believe that other writers were as “authoritative” as he.

Because I have a large force of 40mm Elastolin figures, we use a base 40mm as man-size, but 30mm will do as well. Regular troops have only a few added touches of paint, but hero-types have such things as gilded or enamelled armour, jewels, and carefully painted devices on their shields.

Orcs and elves are 30mm – that is what it says in our book. However, because we have not got around to preparing them, Orcs are 40mm Turks and Elves are bowmen of the same scale.

Trolls and ogres are 54mm. I located some inexpensive plastic Indians in this scale, and a bit of conversion has produced sufficient numbers of black, grey, green and purple creatures of this ilk.

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Metal mediaeval figures in 25mm scale can easily be painted up to make goblins and dwarves, while converted Airfix “Robin Hood” men serve as Hobbits.

Giants are made from the 70mm Elastolin figures. At the moment we have only a pale blue fellow with a head of bushy hair (snipped from one of my daughter’s dolls when they weren’t looking), who is brandishing a huge club. He was originally a Viking with a sword and shield, but the shield was stripped off, the sword removed and a puttied matchstick became the bludgeon.

The Balrog has caused considerable problems, and right now we are using a giant sloth from an assortment of plastic prehistoric animals, which (converted) makes a fearsome looking beast, albeit not quite as Tolkien described it.

Nazgul, like the Balrog, are also difficult. Presently we are employing unconverted 40mm Huns on black horses, but we would like to put wings on the steeds and cloak the figures riding them.

There are two dragons in our force of fantasy figures. One I made stegosaurus: First, the head was enlarged with auto body putty, a wire was inserted into the tail and puttied to make it longer – and barbed, the spikes of the tail were clipped off and added as horns to the head end, cardboard bat wings were puttied into place, and finally the entire affair was given many coats of paint, gilding and glitter (as sparkling gems on its belly). The other was made by Don Kaye using a brontosaurus, with two smaller heads added to the long neck, spikes along the back, wings, and so on.

A large stock of plastic wolves, bears, vultures, and the like are used for lycanthropes or whatever other fairly normal looking creatures are called for. Soft plastic “horrors” and insects from the dime store serve as elementals and giant insects.

Perhaps the best part of fantasy wargaming is being able to allow your imagination full rein. Whatever the players desire can be used or done in games. For example, for one match I built a chest of jewels as the object to be obtained to win. However, I did not mention to either team that I had added a pair of “basilisk eyes” (large pin heads dotted appropriately) which immediately turned the first ogre who opened it to stone. The possibilities are boundless.

The way the rules are selling here, it seems a good bat for some model figures firm to start producing a line of properly scaled fantasy figures!

Mr Botham’s observations about the possibilities of Airfix “Astronauts” as Heinlein’s “Starship Troopers” (or other future warriors) has also crossed my mind as a fair possibility. In fact, if Mr Botham eventually puts his ideas into a set of rules I can state, as Rules Editor at Guidon Games, that I would like to see them with eventual publication in mind.

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The Giant’s Bag

The following article first appeared in the Great Plains Game Players Newsletter #7, April 1975, pp. 9-11, and is likely one of the first Actual Plays accounting the events of a session (popularly known as “Replays” in the Japanese market).

Great Plains Game Players Newsletter #7, April 1975

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Originally posted by the Greyhawk Grognard, Joseph Bloch. From the Great Plains Game Players Newsletter #7, April 1975, pp. 9-11 (with only a few corrections to spelling), I present a bit of early Greyhawkiana. To the best of my knowledge, this work is in the public domain, but I don’t pretend to either be an intellectual property attorney nor play one on television. –JB

THE GIANT’S BAG

An Account of a “Wilderness Adventure” in Fantasy Wargaming. by Gary Gygax

The LGTSA has been involved in a fantasy campaign for over a year now, using the DUNGEONS & DRAGONS rules (Gygax & Arneson) just recently made generally available; for along with Dave Arneson’s group in the Twin Cities, they got to be the “official play-testers” (to which they say whoopee…). During these months there have been many hundreds of “Dungeon Expeditions” and “Wilderness Adventures”. These games were often harrowing, mostly exciting, and often funny. The following account is one of the latter (I hope!). The referee was Rob Kuntz, with Ernie Gygax and Gary Gygax playing.

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Four great war horses forced their way through the brush bordering the stream. The party was making its way through the trackless wilderness southeast of the walled city of Greyhawk, seeking monsters to slay and treasure to loot. At the head of the horsemen rode the sorcerer Nestre, with his elven apprentice close at hand. Behind were two armor-clad fighters, his henchmen and bodyguards. The four followed the tiny watercourse southwards, and eventually came to the place where it fed a broad river; here they dismounted to camp for the night. Trouble came almost immediately thereafter.

A great crackling of broken branches and the heavy tread of huge feet alerted the adventurers, and when the giant appeared a moment later it was no surprise. Weapons at the ready, they confronted the tall form. It made no hostile move, so Nestre stepped forward and spoke.

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“Are you come with peaceful intentions?” the mage shouted.

“Duhhh…” the giant replied.

Somewhat relaxed by this friendly greeting, the men invited him into their camp. As soon as the great oaf was sprawled at ease by the fire, Nestre inquired if the giant was on any important business. The big fellow said that he was simply out for a month’s stroll in the greenwood, so the mage immediately sought to enlist the services of their guest:

“We are, good Giant, here with a purpose. We have with us a map leading to a fabulous store of wealth! Things in this forsaken land, however, seldom turn out as planned, o we are willing to share the treasure with you in return for your aid in gaining it! Do you consent?”

“Duh, sure, duh,” the giant replied indecisively. And so the bargain was sealed.

Nothing further disturbed the encampment — if anything came near it probably fled after seeing what sort of creatures dozed near the dancing flames. With the first light they saddled their steeds, the lumbering giant shouldered his sack, and all five now struck out in search of the treasure. The map led them along the bank of the turgid river to a spot infested with enormous crabs. Naturally, this was the very spot which the parchment scroll indicated as the repository of the unknown spoil. The men attempted to wade into the current, but they were quickly discouraged by the aggressive attacks of the giant crustaceans. Would the giant be willing to try? Immediately the tall creature stepped into the murky water, and as the crabs came near he struck left and right with his tree-like bludgeon. A few survived to flee, but the bulk of the monsters were flailed to pieces. The sopping, gore-drenched men then saw the giant stoop and disappear entirely under the water.

In a moment he reappeared with an iron-bound chest atop his shoulder. Soon the giant was ashore, had the trunk open, and was loading the contents into his bag.

“What else was down there?” Nestre asked eagerly.

“Dere was only tree roun’ things besides dis here box.”

Now the four adventurers dived into the river in order to retrieve the three spherical objects. Before long they were back, staggering with a trio of moss covered objects.

“What the devil!” expostulated Nestre, “Rocks!”

“Haw! haw! haw!” the giant guffawed, stuffing the last of the contents of the chest into his now bulging sack: “I ain’t never seed no guys as funny as youse are.”

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Eventually, the whole party was seated before a flat rock, safe in a small cave, dividing the loot. The giant was gulled into accepting a few hundred pieces of gold, while the four humans shared the cream of the treasure among themselves. Somehow, this act of greed seemed to engender still more avarice in the mage’s heart. He began to eye the giant’s copious bag with keen interest. Was there some choice item therein? If so, Nestre the Clever (err, Cleaver) would certainly be able to gain it also!

“Say, my bulky friend, may I look in your bag?”

“Duh, nope!” the giant said with a shake of his tangled and dirty locks.

“Not even for a — GEM!” and with that the wily mage presented an indifferent jewel of 100 gold pieces’ value.

The giant declined: “Gimme a big gem, an’ I’ll letcha peek.”

“Two small ones?”

“A great BIG one!”

Now Nestre had several large jewels, but his greedy nature prevented him from accepting the logical. Instead he became even more determined to dupe the oaf: “Here. Look at this huge gem,” said the mage, presenting his crystal ball. The giant’s face lit with pleasure as Nestre made the globe alive with tiny and colorful scenes.

“Yah, yah! Oboyohboy! Gimme dat!”

“Not so fast,” the mage said, swiftly jerking the crystal ball from the giant’s reach: “You can have it under two conditions: One, you must be able to make pictures in it like I jut did. Two, you must allow me to look into your sack.”

“Suresure,” replied the giant, “Now gimme da pretty!”

Smirking with confidence, the sorcerer handed his glittering scrying device to the eager giant. The hulking brute hunched over the crystal ball, grunting and puffing as he tried to make pictures appear therein; all to absolutely no avail, of course, being a typically stupid and unmagical giant.

“You failed!” tauted the mage, “Now give it back to me, for I want to look–”

“STUPID GEM!” thundered the giant, “I’ll teach it!” and with that he smote the crystal ball with his oaken club, while tears of frustration ran down his cheeks.

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These giant tears went well with the smaller ones rolling from Nestre’s eyes…

“All right (sob!), biggie, here’s the large-type gem you asked for in the first place.”

“Youse made me cranky,” the giant said, “so now I ain’t gonna let nobody poke their nose inta my sack unless they forks over TWO big gems.”

Shoulders stooped in defeat, the mage handed over two fine jewels, each worth not less than 1,000 golden orbs.

As the sorcerer rummaged through the contents of the bag — finding spare skivvies, old bones, a comic book, three lollipops, and other assorted trash, the giant was heard to say:

“Whyinhell did dat dumb shrimp wanna rummage ‘roun’ in dat dirty ol’ bag anyhow?”

“YARGH!” was the only reply from the mage.

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AFTERWARD:

Late that night the giant decided that he had important business elsewhere, so he left with most of the treasure. Upon awakening next morning the four men found his note and a pair of his soiled drawers. The note read:

Stranger still, they waited three weeks, flying the drawers like a banner from a tall sapling near the water. Needless to relate, the giant did not return.

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The Magician’s Ring The following article first appeared in the Wargamer’s Digest – Volume 2, Number 8 (June 1975), and is a follow up to April’s The Giant’s Bag in Great Plains Game Players Newsletter#7.

Wargamer’s Digest – Volume 2, Number 8 (June 1975)

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Dungeons & Dragons – The Magician’s Ring by Gary Gygax

Since doing the account of “The Giant’s Bag” which was published in the Great Plains Game Players Newsletter [EDITOR: Linked here], I have had a number of requests for similar articles from readers who found a small amount of humor in the tale. Here then is another brief story of the wonderful adventures had by the brave and fearless types who inhabit the realm of DUNGEONS & DRAGONS.

Those who have explored the countyside between the bustling city of Greyhawk and the castle ruins of the same name which lie on the hill not a league to the east of the city will testify to the fact that there are a number of strange tunnels and wells about. Wise folks avoid them, for the know that these are but entrances to the fiendish maze of dungeons, pits, labyrinths, crypts, catacombs, and caverns which honeycomb the hill and the rock far beneath it. There are those, however, who eagerly seek these ways, for it is likewise well-known that incalculable treasure also rests within these twisting mazes. Dauntless adventurers sally through these entrances to a hideous underworld, determined to gain great fortunes or die. It is of such an adventurer that this take is built around– a rare tale indeed.

Lessnard the Magician was displeased with his acquisition of wizardly skills — or rather his lack of the same — so he decided that he must immediately seek a remedy to this dearth. A carefully planned expedition to a not too-deep level of Greyhawk Dungeons was in order, for there he could gain the priceless magic items and magical experience necessary to become more skilled at his calling. Besides, he had recently hired a veteran fighter, a clerical acolyte, and a magical medium, and these retainers would greatly benefit from such experience (providing they survived, and under such leadership as his, how could they fail simple survival?!). So properly accoutered, the four set forth one chilly dawn to wrest some of the choice loot from the dungeons.

Lessnard chose one of the outside entrances to the lower levels of the dungeons, knowing it would save both time and the risk of unwished for encounters with wandering monsters. In a trice the party was wandering about in a maze of passages and rooms, bt it was soon discovered that this particular section had been oft visited, for doors hung akimbo, only monsters’ bones littered the most secluded lairs, and treasure was nil. Not despairing, the Magician led still further into the labyrinth, and eventually a set of out-

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of-the-way stairs was discovered. Despite the fact that these led to a higher level, the Magician felt it wise to ascend, for surely such unfrequented stairs would bring his party to a similarly neglected section of an upper level. It was just so! Not long thereafter Lessnard forced open a door and confronted a trio of skeletal wights, loathsome undead creatures which would — if allowed — paralyze both him and his retainers and turn thenm all into like creatures. But that was not to be, for he quickly acted! With a hastily muttered incantation Lessnard hurled a glowing ball at the wights, a sphere which grew brighter and expanded as it sped from his fingers, to burst in a blaze and turn the undead things to mere ashes. When all cooled down, and the stench and smoke dissipated a bit, the Magician led his party into the place and it took only a bit of careful searching to find a dozen pieces of funerial jewelry which had been reposing with the now-destroyed creatures.

Instead of retracing their steps, the group trudged northwards from a four-way intersection near the former lair of the wights, and in less than a hundred paces they came upon a large chamber. Their cautious approach allowed them to completely take by surprise a giant scorpion who dwelled therein. “Good grief!” shrieked the retainers. “Crum and St. Cuthbert! At him!” ordered Lessnard. Although not expecting anything so terrible as this huge arachnid in the upper dungeons, the Magician was nonetheless determined to carry through an immediate attack. An arrow flew into the monster as the magic-user cast a spell to slow its movements. Thereafter ensued a fierce battle. The Magician leaped upon the scorpion and struck repeatedly at it with his poinard. His faithful retainers rained blows at the monster. The tail of the beast arched, and the hapless cleric was transfixed. With a groan he expired on the spot. But this was the last attack for the giant scorpion, and it too was done for by a flurry of blows. Although its pincers had dealt a few wounds to the brave Magician, he was exultant, for surely this was a glorious victory! Had the monster guarded anything? At first nothing could be found, but Lessnard turned just i time to see that his Medium apprentice had fumbled a ring from the tail of the scorpion, taking the item from the creature’s sting, and slipping it onto his pinkie. He vanished before Lessnard’s gaze!

“Floppspel!” he cried, “reappear again this moment, and hand over that ring which is the rightful property of your master!” No response. Fortunately there was but one exit from the place, and Lessnard was closest to the passage. He flailed the air like an overfed turkey buzzard attempting to take flight, and one of his thrashing arms contacted the Medium’s crouched form, knocking the latter sprawling. “I’ve got him!” Lessnard shouted, and the fighter rushed to help. Strange indeed to see two grown men seemingly wrestling with empty air, but then the object of the struggle appeared, for the Magician had managed to wrest the ring from his finger causing Floppspel to immediately become visible. “Dolt!” said Lessnard, soundly trouncing the captive apprentice. “I was only trying it out,” whined Floppspel. Cautioning the Medium never to try such a stupid trick again, Lessnard now led the two on the homeward journey, with the fighter bearing the body of the slain cleric.

Alas! the way out was not as simple as the Magician had thought, for despite being able to retrace his way to the steps by which they had entered the level, it was impossible to utilize them, for the passage was unbroken by any portal. They had passed through a one-way door without noticing, and now he must find another means of egress. An hour of wandering brought them back to a spot near where they had fought the wights and scorpion, and in one corridor Lessnard recognized a familiar place. Yes, he had been here

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once before. A narrow crack in the wall ave into a hexagonal chamber, but Lessnard shuddered at the thought, for it was a dangerous way to pass.

A deep circular well nearly filled the room, and only a narrow and slippery ledge curled around ts lip. The well was filled with dark water, and the dark water was filled with hungry crocodiles! On the far side of the chamber was a door which led to the passage out, but the only way to gain it was to risk passage along the ledge. Bravely Lessnard ordered the party forward. “Fortunately for you,” he explained to his two surviving retainers, “I have these Boots of Levitation, and with them I can hover nearby and guide your steps so as to avoid a plunge into certain death.” The two listeners looked less than convinced, but they set forth anyway, having small choice. But a few steps and the Veteran cried out as his foot slipped from the ledge; the corpse of the cleric tumbled from his shoulders into the hungry jaws below. Another step and the hapless fellow followed the body. “Halt,” commanded the Magician to the only survivor, Floppspel the Medium. “Loose that coil of rope from your waist and toss me an end. Tie the other securely about yourself, and then if you slip I shall be able to save you from the fate of that stupid fighter.” Floppspel complied with alacrity, but as he watched his mater fastening the cord about his middle a sudden thought struck the Medium.

“Master,” said the apprentice tugging at the rope — rather like a small child does with a helium balloon on the end of a strong. “May I have that wondrous Ring of Invisibility when we gain the pure air of the world above?”

“Don’t be a churl!” snarled Lessnard. “Such treasures are not for the likes of mere Mediums. I’ll keep it for myself!”

“Please, master, please!” Floppspel continued to beg, all the while yanking upon the rope in eagerness, and causing his master to bounce about as if he were actually the already alluded to balloon.

“Curse you!” shouted the enraged Magician, “I said no! Now stop that ad proceed along the ledge.” The Medium ignored the command and continued to tug and plead. Now, thought Lessnard, I’ll teach that stupid fellow a lesson in obedience. I’ll suspend him over the pit and threaten to dip his posterior therein for a snack for the scaley denizens of the well unless he jumps at my merest suggestion henceforward. As Floppspel began to repeat his abjurations, Lessnard struck! With a violent jerk he pulled the surprised fellow from the ledge so that he hung suspended above the middle of the horrid pool. But, sad to relate, all was not as quite as Lessnard had expected. The weight of the Medium was causing him to sink slowly towards the hungry crocodiles. “Note this lesson,” quoth Lessnard. “See how I could feed you to yon beasts would I will!” The terrified Medium began to clamber up the rope as he slowly sunk closer to the snapping jaws of the crocs’, not overly impressed with his master’s wrath, but well impressed with what lay below. “Stop! I shall not do it,” the Magician assured the climber, for they were sinking yet nearer the surface of the water. “Now quickly, you knave, swing over to the ledge, and you’ll be safe.”

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“Yunnngh, uff!” replied Floppspel, going upwards as fast as his shaking hands would pull him. “No! NO!” shouted Lessnard, but the apprentice was like a drowning man, intent only upon climbing atop the straw of imagined safety. “I’ll cut the rope,” threatened Lessnard as they sunk still lower. Floppspel hauled himself to a position where he could grasp his master’s ankles, and once he had a handhold he shinnied up the Magician in a trice. “Yorph, bluchh!” cried Lessnard as the fellow’s foot wedged firmly into his mouth. Floppspel stood triumphantly upon his master’s crown; then, and with a frantic leap managed to regain the safety of the ledge as his former haven was descended below its level. Freed of the oppressive weight of the Medium, Lessnard’s magical footwear once again asserted their influence — just in time to save him from the ravening maws but a scant span below. Upwards he bounded like a startled grouse. But while the latter controls its flight, the Magician was too surprised to rule his levitational device, and his head smote the ceiling of the chamber resoundingly.

There remains but little more to tell. Upon reaching the surface the Magician drove his erstwhile apprentice from him with kicks, threats, and curses. The fellow has never been seen again, but the whole adventure still haunts his former master. Is it his imagination? or do his friend’s warm waves of greeting somewhat resemble the motion of an arm tugging on a rope…

AFTERWARD:

The shenanigans of Floppspel were, of course, nothing more than what the game referee decided would take place. They were, however, based on several definite factors. the apprentice was a new hireling, and as such his loyalty was uncertain (as indicated by a dice roll). His master furthermore did not offer him any substantial portion of treasure gained, so he was quite naturally looking out for himself. The battles with the wights and the giant scorpion lowered Floppspel’s morale, first because he was not immediately promised a portion of the jewelry, second due to the death of the Acolyte cleric, and third because he took a great fancy to the ring of invisibility (a score of 12 with two six-sided dice) and saw no chance to gain the desired object. It was not unnatural that he attempt to gain the latter when an opportunity arose.

It is the duty of a referee to make any situation like that described as difficult as possible for the participants. Beside adding a few light moments afterwards it encourages careful consideration of any action contemplated and clear instructions regarding all actions taken during an adventure. this improves the play of the game on the participants’ part and makes it far easier for the referee.

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Not for resale. Permission granted to print or photocopy this document for personal use only. Gygax’s Legendarium 20

Alarums & Excursions #2

The following letter appears in Alarums & Excursions #2, July 1975, and addresses some origin stories for D&D, Greyhawk, and the people behind the scenes.

Gygax’s Letter From Alarums & Excursions #2, July 1975

Ω

Dear Lee;

Hello! and our thanks for the two copies of A&E. Brian Blume takes care of SR, and he immediately made off with one copy of your zine, so you can rest assured of the trade arrangement.

It certainly is a good feeling to have so many persons enjoying something one had a hand in creating. I have been a sf and fantasy fan since age 12, a wargame enthusiast since age 10 and began designing and writing about 1965. The games and rules are fairly successful these days, but I have yet to sell a sf or fantasy story, and that will be my next real project — in a year or so when I have time to rewrite my favorite fantasy novel in hopes of something more than the usual rejection slips.

In case you don’t know the history of D&D, it all began with the fantasy rules in CHAINMAIL. Dave A. took those rules and changed them into a prototype of what is now D&D. When I played in his “Blackmoor” campaign I fell in love with the new concept and expanded and changed his 20 or so pages of hand-written “rules” into about 100 ms. pages. Dave’s group and ours here in Lake Geneva then began eager and enthusiastic play-testing, and the result was the D&D game in January of 1974. It is an ongoing game, as the GREYHAWK booklet shows, and when Dave hands me the ms. for BLACKMOOR I am sure that there will be more alternatives yet. I have personally worked out enough material lately to do still another supplement, and the heaps of material sent in by fans would certainly fill another — besides providing a good bit of material for publication in SR. So as long as players desire, TSR will continue to provide more D&D goodies (although my partners bemoan the fact that this tends to deprive the historical end of out operation.)

If you have seen WAR OF THE WIZARDS, you are aware of how imaginative and creative a man Professor M.A.R. Barker is. We have arranged, finally, to publish his masterwork, EMPIRE OF THE PETAL THRONE. Professor Barker has been at work on his fantasy world creation for something like 40 years! It shows in his work. I hardly know where to begin in describing EPT. First, I must liken the whole of the Professor’s work to JRRT’s (and I understand that Professor Barker has a novel which he hopes to complete soon!). The whole of the game EMPIRE OF THE PETAL THRONE is perfectly thought-out and

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logically structured. Its form was influenced by D&D (and I am greatly flattered about that) although its author had been testing various other forms prior to the publication of D&D.

I will not describe the world of ‘PETAL THRONE, for Professor Barker does that himself, far better than I could hope to, in his game. Suffice it to say that we have spared no expense to do it justice when TSR publishes it. The box will be about 9″ x 12″ with a full-color illustration of the city of BeySy on the cover. The Professor is also one heck of an illustrator, and he did that map in a medieval style with building erections, larger-than-life figures of men, and so forth. In addition to a rules book (about the same number of words as D&D, possibly quite a few more) done in two-column, 3 1/2 x 11 size with a plastic ring binding so it will open flat to any section, there will be three full-color, plasticized mapboards (similar to the one found in STAR PROBE). Two are the map of the world, and the other is the city of Jakala. The first two are done with permission, on SPI hex maps, while the latter is done on a slightly smaller hex grid. The unfortunate part is what the whole will cost — the $20 price range — but we plan to make the separate parts available so that much cash won’t have to be laid out all at once. We expect the work to be available by 15 July.

We also have a wonderful “parlor” version of D&D dungeon adventures coming up fairly soon — great for when there are only non-addicts to play games with, for the family, or when there is only an hour or two for play. The game is well done, and its components are top-quality, and we expect it to be popular for many reasons — not the least of which is it will help D&D enthusiasts demonstrate to the uninitiated why they love fantasy games.

I sang through both of the tunes in “Music to Loot Dungeons By”. Good show!

There seems to be considerable confusion amongst your contributors — particularly those who tend to be in a flap about incomplete or unpalatable solutions (to them) of D&D rules/questions/problems. The game is complex and complicated. When it was released, it was by no means in a final (or even polished) form, but were we to sit on it for another few years in order to get it that way? Can a broad fantasy game ever be finished? Of course we could not hold off publication, for it was too much fun to keep from others.

Dave and I disagree on how to handle any number of things, and both of our campaigns differ from the “rules” found in D&D. If the time ever comes when all aspects of fantasy are covered and the vast majority of its players agree on how the game should be played, D&D will have become staid and boring indeed. Sorry, but I don’t believe that there is anything desirable in having various campaigns playing similarly to one another. D&D is supposed to offer a challenge to the imagination and to do so in many ways. Perhaps the most important is in regard to what the probabilities of a given situation are. If players know what all of the monster parameters are, what can be expected in a given situation, exactly what will happen to them if they perform thus and so, most of the charm of the game is gone. Frankly, the reason I enjoy playing in Dave Arneson’s campaign is that I do not know his treatments of monsters and suchlike, so I must keep thinking and reasoning in order to “survive”. Now, for example, if I made a proclamation from on high which suited Mr. Johnstone, it would certainly be quite unacceptable to hundreds or even thousands of other

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players. My answer is, and has always been, if you don’t like the way I do it, change the bloody rules to suit yourself and your players. D&D enthusiasts are far too individualistic and imaginative a bunch to be in agreement, and I certainly refuse to play god for them — except as a referee in my own campaign where they jolly well better toe the mark. Let us consider the magic-user question.

We allow magic-users to employ the number of spells shown on the table, so a 1st level m-u gets exactly one 1st level spell to use once before he must go back to his books and prepare to use the spell once again — or a spell once again. To allow unlimited use of the spell is to make the m-u’s too powerful. There is a better solution, of course; one I have been aware of since the first. That is to utilize a point system based on the m-u’s basic abilities and his or her level. Spell cost is then taken as a function of the spell and the circumstances in which it is cast and possibly how much force is put into the spell. All that would have required a great deal of space and been far more complex to handle, so I opted for the simple solution.

Again, as a case in point, Ted Johnstone says I have trouble telling which rules are so completely obvious that he doesn’t need to explain them. That, dear friends, is a statement which could only be made by someone who has never authored a set of rules or a game! Many of the rules which are completely obvious to me are totally obscure to others. I can say in complete truthfulness that I have had to explain each and every section of the rules to some players, either in person or by letter.

I desire variance in interpretation and, as long as I am editor of the TSR line and its magazine, I will do my utmost to see that there is as little trend towards standardization as possible. Each campaign should be a “variant”, and there is no “official interpretation” from me or anyone else. If a game of “Dungeons and Beavers” suits a group, all I say is more power to them, for every fine referee runs his own variant of D&D anyway.

I recall that I told Bob Sacks that in Greyhawk we do not have existing religions included, for this is a touchy area. We have such groups as “The Church of the Latter Day Great Old Ones,” Church of Crom, Scientist”, “Brethren of St. Cuthbert of the Cudgle”, and so on. Gods sometimes intervene. There are some artifacts and the like which aid clerics. In general, however, clerics are powerful enough without much aid, for they have quite a few advantages and work up very quickly. Fighters are really the ones whom everyone should be irate about, for they have the hardest time of it, if not backed up by other classes or by lots of other fighters or blessed with the most powerful of magic gear.

How does one use gunpowder weapons in the confined spaces of the dungeon? What happens to ears? Blackmoor has some gunpowder usage but the filthy stuff won’t work in Greyhawk’s world.

By the way, a score of 18 is only the usual top limit for humans in Greyhawk. We have monsters with intelligence scores well over 18, and one player is about to work out a deal which will jump his to not less than 19.

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Please inform Ted that I too subscribe to the slogan “D&D is too important to leave to Gary Gygax.” Gosh and golly! Whoever said anything else. However, pal, best remember that it is far too good to leave to you or any other individual or little group either! It now belongs to the thousands of players enjoying it worldwide, most of whom will probably never hear of you or your opinions unless you get them into THE STRATEGIC REVIEW. As soon as we can manage it, we intend to have expand SR, publish bimonthly and include a letter column.

Thanks again for sending A&E. It was most enjoyable. Watch out though, that it doesn’t start D&D down the road of DIPLOMACY fandom with its constant feuds, bickering, invective, etc. Now tell the fellows to pick on Dave Arneson awhile — after all he had as much to do with the whole mess as I did!

Regards, E. Gary Gygax

[EDITOR: The following notes were appended in the original Gygax’s Legendarium website (with some grammatical and spelling mistakes that I’ve taken the liberty to change). I believe they are notes from that site’s caretaker, but I’m honestly not 100% certain. If anyone can shed light on this, please let me know in the comments!]

NOTE: To provide some context for part of Gygax’s reply I am adding this comment by Ted Johnstone from Alarums & Excursions #1 (Addendum – I believe I have misattributed this comment, as Gygax perhaps did as well, and it is by Mark Swanson in reply to Ted Johnstone instead of a comment by Ted Johnstone himself).

TED JOHNSTONE – My comment on the non-existence of a “Charm Monster” spell was a symptom of my usual disease of firstdraftitis. I’ve read the rules but haven’t memorized them. Two points. // Howver, on a larger subject, I am a supporter of the slogan “D&D is too important to leave to Gary Gygax.” Gary has produced other games in the past. The problem has been that they are not interesting in their full form. They tend to be flawed by simple, bad solutions to complex problems. Thus, in Gary Gygax’s game, A MAGIC USER GETS TO USE EACH SPELL ONCE A DAY.

If a first-level magic user gets to charm one person a day with no other magical acts permitted, Gary’s version of the spell is entirely appropriate. As is the “No saving throw against sleep,” the lack of restrictions on how often a character can be healed, etc. (The rule can be found, vaguely, in book three, and explicitly in Gary’s magazine, #3.) As I said, Gary has trouble telling which rules are so completely obvious that he doesn’t need to explain them. Welcome, brother heretic, or were you planning to do it that way? This problem, how to limit the magic users, is second only to the question of what are the characters doing as defining the games. Gary Gygax says that a Medium has one spell a day, a seeress gets to cast to a day, etc — and they are all out on a treasure hunt. It’s a simple solution, but I don’t like it.

NOTE: Further context reference for Gygax’s reply concerning player attributes above 18. Comment is from Alarums & Excursions #1

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TOM DIGBY: Somebody mentioned talking about things in D&D jargon and mentioned that “Kimball Kinnison has about a 16 intelligence.” These attributes are obtained for a character by rolling three six- sided dice, with a possible range of 3-18, a mean of 10.5, and a standard deviation of about 2.96… The Mensa cutoff is the 98th percentile and comes out to 16.5 intelligence. The normal curve has one person in a thousand about 19.5 though, something you can never get with three dice. This may mean that there are a number of people in fandom whose intelligence is greater than can exist in a D&D world.

NOTE: Even further context. I believe Gygax’s mention of Dave Arneson’s role in creating D&D stems from this comment by Barry Gold in Alarums & Excursions #1.

From Alarums & Excursions #1 by Barry Gold

Lee and I, as publishers of Alarums and Excursions, recommend that you buy the rules to Dungeons and Dragons if you don’t already have them. Xeroxing somebody else’s copy is unethical and illegal too. If you are going to get involved enough in the game to build your dungeon, you should at least spring for $10 for the rule books. If you aren’t making your own dungeons, you don’t really need the books – some other player can tell you how to make and play a character. So there is no excuse for making a bootleg copy and depriving Gary Gygax, the game’s inventor, of his fair share.

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The Expedition Into the Black Reservoir A Dungeon Adventure at Greyhawk Castle

The following tale written by Gygax recounts the now infamous expedition of Erac into the Black Reservoir beneath Castle Greyhawk. It was received by the folks at Canonfire! via Mike B., and was authenticated by Gygax himself as coming from a fanzine called El Conquistador in September 1975. It can also be found here via Greyhawk scholar grodog. grodog’s Greyhawk Castle Archive, “The Expedition Into The Black Reservoir” page 1 and page 2. Ω

THE EXPEDITION INTO THE BLACK RESERVOIR: A DUNGEON ADVENTURE AT GREYHAWK CASTLE

September 1975

Received: (qmail 23460 invoked by uid 508); 4 Jun 2003 04:22:36 -0000 From: [email protected] Date: Wed, 4 Jun 2003 00:22:31 EDT To: [email protected] Subject: [greytalk] Expedition Into the Black Reservoir (Greyhawk Castle)

Hello!

Here, from a fanzine in 1975, is a little known (if known at all), never-reprinted tale of an exploration of Castle Greyhawk. Written by Gary Gygax, it accompanied a short review of the “new” D&D boxed set and an article by Gary about “Fantasy Wargaming”. I reprint the story here, with Gary’s permission, hoping that long-time fans can get a glimpse into what sounds like a retelling of an actual gaming session over 25 years ago with Gary’s son Ernie (Erac) and others. Hopefully Gary will feel free to comment on anything mentioned in the tale, if his memory permits. This story appears exactly as printed, and I’ve divided it into two parts. Happy reading!

Mike B.

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The Expedition Into the Black Reservoir; a Dungeon Adventure at Greyhawk Castle

By Gary Gygax

To the east of the busy walled city of Greyhawk the land is forsaken, overgrown with thorns and thistles. Oozing marsh creeps slowly down. The copses are huddles of weird, bloated trees. The wiry grass seems to grasp at the feet of any who dare to tread upon it. In the center of this unwholesome place, on a rock- boned prominence, hulks the ruin of the grim Greyhawk Castle. Still a few of the bravest sort regularly frequent its precincts—one such as Erac, a spellcaster, Erac the Enchanter, Erac the ambitious, a paladin of Law.

This same magic-user now commanded a party of four bent on despoiling the wicked dwellers of the underworld beneath the castle of some goodly treasure. At Erac’s side paced the lama Londlar. At the back of one was Nulfyke, a dwarf swordsman, while behind the other was the acolyte Ugubb of the Lake of Crystals. The fallen west gate of Greyhawk Castle was at hand, and through this mouldering portal the party passed. In a few moments they had entered the great central keep, heaved open an inner door, and carefully proceeded down a set of winding stone steps—steps worn with age and slippery with dampness. They had entered the dungeons.

A huge oaken door at the bottom of the tower gave into a corridor running east and west. Erac led eastward, turned south at an intersection, followed a branching passage southeasterly, and halted the group in a large natural cavern which was lighted by glowing clumps of foxfire upon floor, walls, and ceiling.

At least a score of elves were lounging about, and they greeted the four adventurers in a businesslike manner. These were the guardians of the eastern stairs. Who or what had made them the warders of this ingress to the dungeon depths no-one knew or cared; for they were there, and no-one cared to dispute their right.

A bargain was quickly arranged: On their return the expedition would allow the elves their choice of any one magical item plus a tithe of silver and gold—all this assuming that the party DID return, and if they returned that they had any treasure to divide. The deeper dungeons are most hazardous, prizes are hard won, and mortality is high. A few parting words and the four went further into the cavern, up a small passage, and then began a long descent by means of uneven steps cut into living rock.

When the end of the stairs was finally reached, the party quickly decided to attempt to explore mostly northward, and proceeded accordingly. Most of the passages seemed to by running laterally, but by dint of much criss-crossing they had gained some measure of progress when a chance entry into a narrow southerly tunnel discovered a flight of steps going deeper still into the bowels of the castle.

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One of the adventurers demurred, and an argument ensued as to the wisdom of going further down. This discussion ceased abruptly when a bellowing arose from the corridor they had just left, and without further ado all four hastened on. The end of the steps brought something totally unexpected, however. The space there was seemingly boundless and cloaked with a murk of ebon vapors which allowed but feeble penetration by lanthorn or torch.

It was only after considerable careful probing in all directions that it was discovered that northward lay a sudden drop. The ledge was only a few feet above a sheet of inky water—water of unknown depths. Passing along its edge the four went westward, and within a few yards came upon a large raft moored to an iron ring. Erac wished to set out upon the waters then and there; but Londlar prevailed upon him, so the party explored yet further west along the strange shore.

Some two hundred feet anead (sic) they found a flight of stairs wending upward, and as they passed these by a strange scraping from beyond brought all four to a state of utmost alert. Lanthorns were raised high, and a faint glimmering from afar told them that something unusual lurked ahead. Then the scraping came again, and this time a loud clacking accompanied it.

Into the light scuttled an immense crab, with pincers of sword-like proportion poised in front snapping open and shut as the monster charged its intended prey. Formidable, certainly, but why face a senseless brute for nothing except a chance of death? The four discreetly withdrew at a dead run.

Nothing pursued beyond a few score feet, and Erac called a halt in order to devise a detailed plan. “No more aimlessness! We will now set out upon the dark waters yonder, for I am sure that somewhere within that expanse a vast treasure awaits our taking.” In a trice all were aboard the raft, and with long poles the four shoved the clumsy raft away from the ledge into the unknown.

The raft slowly lost way after the initial rush of ten feet, but Ugubb whispered that a pillar loomed but a few feet ahead, and gradually the raft drifted forward until they touched the granite post with a gentle thump. Working around the support so as to be able to go further northward, the four repeated the pushing off process.

Eventually they discovered that the body of water was apparently a large reservoir. The roof of the place was lost from view in the murk, but everywhere rose mighty granite pillars to support it—hexagonal posts of several yards’ diameter. These supports enabled the party to make their way about the place, and were nearly the undoing of them all.

Quietly the four made their way from pillar to post, fearing that some lurker in the deeps might arise at any moment to overturn their frail craft and devour them whole.Yet nothing broke the still surface of the water save the ripples from the passing of their own raft, and soon they discovered a line of supports stretching away to the left and the right. Pillars which were placed so close to each other that the raft would not pass

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between them. Further exploration revealed that these obstacles took the form of an oval. What was within?

On the far side the sharp-eyed dwarf espied a rusty lever protruding from one of the pillars. Nulfyke seized it and attempted to move the arm, but it gave only a bit and groaned horribly. Erac then came to the assistance of his lieutenant, but they met with no success until Ugubb too lent his weight. Finally the iron bar slowly moved downward, protesting rustily as it went, and as it moved the stone post slowly and silently began to descend.

There was nothing to be done now but to see what results their efforts would bring, for the monolith sank so rapidly as to prevent any attempt to return the lever to its original position. The raft was drawn into the vortex created by the descending shaft, and as it moved ahead all four of the explorers peered into the space heretofore inaccessible to them.

Terror! The water in the middle of the oval was beginning to roll. A snaky head broke the surface! A sea monster had been awakened and released, and they had unwittingly invited their doom. Londlar, Nulfyke, and Ugubb frantically paddled and thrust with the poles to escape the area as quickly as possible, but the horrid head regarded them balefully.

Erac stepped to the part of the raft nearest the monster, turned his back on it, and chanted strange words while his fingers drew runes in the air. The monster was a scant ten yards distant,and closing fast. It had not come close enough to seize the raft or its occupants, however, when their motions seemed to blur. The clever enchanter had cast a spell of haste upon them, and each now moved at incredible speed. The sluggish craft leaped ahead, but even then it was not moving as fast as its pursuer.

“Faster!” shouted Erac, as he turned again toward the sea monster and again raised his hand. He pointed his finger at the gaping mouth of the beast, and spoke a single word. A glowing orb sped from his hand and streaked toward its target, growing larger until it burst in searing flame just behind the monster’s outstretched neck. A deafening honk came from the beast, and it momentarily writhed in pain.

Would they thus escape? No! They were against the westernmost boundary of the black reservoir now, and the monster was cleaving the water behind in fury to avenge its hurt. And then it was upon them! Its serpent’s neck shot forth and it struck. A blast of fetid breath and rending teeth, and Erac lay dazed and bleeding.

The three paddlers forced the cumbersome vessel northward as Erac struggled upright and reached for his last hope, a strange device taken from a quasi-human in another dimension. He aimed the stubby rod as well as the unsteady platform and the poor visibility allowed, and pressed the small stud on its side.

A beam of blue radiance darted forth, striking the water near the monster and causing it to boil. Another hideous honk of pain and great thrashing. What was that ahead? It looked like another ledge and the hope

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of deliverance. Erac sent another beam at their pursuer, and then the raft was at the raised stone platform. As it neared the ledge, all four leaped out.

They had gone twenty feet or so along the ledge when two things happened simultaneously: The sea serpent heaved itself upon the ledge behind them, determined not to allow this prey to escape; and from above five pteradons dove upon Ugubb and Nulfyke, who were in the lead. As Londlar rushed into the fray ahead and smote at the menace from above, Erac loosed yet another bolt from the thick rod. This time it fell full upon the head of the monster, and in a second its truncated corpse thrashed on the stone blocks, spattering ichor everywhere.

A scream from his rear caused the magic-user to turn hastily from the death throes of the sea monster. Both Ugubb and Nulfyke were in the grip of the flying horrors, and yet more could be seen dropping into the fray. Would the strange rod respond again? Pressure upon the stud brought forth another searing flash. One, two! Two of the pteradons flamed and crashed upon the pavestones.

The lama’s armored form was now visible in the midst of the melee, his arm flailing left and right with a great mace of holy power. As another of the winged reptiles was crushed by one of his blows, the others lost all taste for such meat and flapped upward, voicing raucous cries.

The party paused to regain strength, and Londlar began to bind up the wounds of the injured. As he did so he made passes over the rent flesh, and uttered prayers in a tongue strange to the ears. Before the eyes of the wounded, their flesh knit itself. He then turned to Erac and performed the same office.

Somewhat revitalized, the adventurers sought to regain their raft, but in vain; It was gone. Undaunted, they began to search about the stone spit, and finally upon its northernmost extremity they found a punt. Here indeed was a sign that they were being helped by the gods.

Clambering into the boat, they set out to find the lair of the sea monster so as to discover what prize it had guarded. Who, though, could find their way in this maze of pillars and silent water? Again Nulfyke saw something unusual ahead, this time a slender tower upon a stone island.

When they reached the place the four stole silently ashore. An entrance to the tower was discovered, but it would not yield to their pressure. Erac cast a spell of opening upon it, for he could detect a strong enchantment upon the portal. The door gave only a few inches, but this proved barely sufficient for the four to pass through.

The inner chamber contained only a few furnishings, but a stairway drew them upward. This time they wasted no effort trying to open the trapdoor above with force. Erac spoke forth the opening spell once again, and the barrier was magically flung back.

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There in a stupor sat a figure in black robes and tall pointed hat, lost in the vapors arising from some hellish censer. He was overcome with ease, bound, and dragged back to the punt. Although he was obviously a magic-user of some sort, the party could find no magical apparatus of use to them. This misfortune was mitigated by the discovery of a chest filled with gold coins and glittering gems.

By the time the chest was resting in the bottom of the punt the four could see that they would have trouble fitting themselves in, let alone taking their prisoner. Nulfyke slipped away for a moment and returned dragging another boat, apparently belonging to the tower’s inhabitant. Ugubb suggested that their captive be placed therein and the fellow’s boat lashed to theirs. It was agreed, and soon they were off once again in search of the sea serpent’s former prison.

After much rowing the prison was located, and nothing befell the party during the search. The punt was positioned over the approximate center of the enclosed area. The acolyte was the strongest swimmer, so he stripped off his armor. A hundred-foot length of rope was weighted and thrown over the side, one end securely tied to the boat, and Ugubb dove overboard with a sack of iron spikes to bear him quickly to the required depth.

Londlar felt a tug on the rope, then nothing. Had something struck it? Swallowed the acolyte? No. In another minute Ugubb was back to inform them that when he had reached the end of the line he had found that the bottom was still deeper—how deep he knew not. It was decided that nothing more could be done at this time, and a speedy return to the surface was in order.

Ugubb donned his armor, Londlar and the dwarf began to row, and Erac tried to draw the towed punt close so that he could question their prisoner. Perhaps he would prove of considerable use to them yet. But as the enchanter began to pull the craft closer the captive leaped up, shook off his bonds, and dove overboard!

Nothing could prevent his escape. He had managed to slip from his ties and had been biding his time. This was not the most-opportune moment, but the captive had acted in desperation. As the four rowed for their starting point and the route up, they heard a great hollow voice cry behind them: “I am the Sorcerer of Black Reservoir, and I shall be avenged for the theft of my treasure!”

After a few more narrow escapes, the four adventurers managed to regain the outer world of fresh air and sunlight. The loot from the chest was adequate, but none of them felt called upon to retire to the quiet life. The question uppermost in all of their minds was how to find what, if anything, that terrible sea monster had guarded. There was also a nagging worry as to the ability of the Black Sorcerer to carry out his threat. None voiced their thoughts, but all felt that soon they would again plumb the depths of the ebon lake for the wealth that it hid.

THE END

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Alarums & Excursions #8 The following letter was written by Gygax as a clarification and rebuttal to previous letters (included below).

Alarums & Excursions #8, January 1976 Ω

A Letter From E. Gary Gygax in Alarums & Excursions #8

…and related letters…

There was an interesting comment in the October ish which I cannot allow to pass unchallenged. This veritable pearl of wisdom dropped from the learned lips of one “Barry.” [Well, not really. It actually occurs in PERCEPTION 2, pages one and two written by Dick Eney. It is addressed to Barry who had condemned “xeroxing D&D rules instead of paying for them” in an earlier issue. Future allusions to “Barry” will be changed to “Eney” by the typist. — LG.]

Now in all fairness, I must preface my remarks with the admission that I once said something very like what this good fellow did with regard to “pirating” of miniature figures. Jack Scruby wrote a rebuttal which made me look a tad foolish and set the matter straight. So now the shoe is really on the other foot and it pinches a trifle.

Leaving aside the question of legality — and it is illegal to copy works held under copyright, of course — I must set you all straight about costs. The production of a game or rules set entails very many expenses beyond the base printing cost, and I must say that the printing cost of D&D runs quite a bit above the six bits that Eney mistakenly asserts is the cost. (If, in fact, he can have the three booklets printed, the separate charts also done, and assembled, the box made and wrapped, and the whole put together and shrink-wrapped for that price, he should contact me immediately and let me know the name of the printer!) However initial printing cost is not the only consideration. First, a substantial sum of money must be raised in order to pay for from 3,000 to 5,000 copies of the print run, and a place to house all these sets must be found. Then material to handle orders, wrap them and ship them must be arranged for, as well as someone to do the actual work. Records must be kept. Taxes must be paid. Royalties must be reported and paid to authors and artists. Salaries must be paid. Overhead must be paid. And there is always the good old discount! We offer them, hobby stores get them (and most folks would rather go and pick their materials up immediately than wait for a mail order), and distributors get very substantial ones. They’re all necessary and beneficial — except that in some cases the authors make more money on a run than TSR does! That’s fine as long as the overhead and fixed expenses get taken care of, but it doesn’t consider what is to be done for new productions.

As A&E has not hesitated to point out, TSR deserves to gain some profit for its venture. Frankly, we do not think anybody else would have been willing to hazard what we did in pioneering the fantasy game field. In

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this same vein, we have many other new designs which we wish to publish, but each entails a considerable amount of time, effort and capital. TSR employees all receive minimal wages in order that the firm will have enough excess to produce new material. To correct the learned Eney, D&D, GREYHAWK, CHAINMAIL et al., most certainly are bread and butter to five or six TSR employees (including myself, my wife and our five children). They are also the bread and butter of those who look forward to new material from TSR.

This whole matter irritates me more than a little when I think of the time and effort I have put into it for the past few years, the work all of the TSR people have put in with an average remuneration of something less than two dollars per hour, while some nit babbles about matters he has absolutely no conception of! (As I was careful to preface this whole thing with the admission that I once did the same with regard to the costs of miniature figures, I trust no personal offense will be taken.)

Again, Eney seemingly shells out a buck for A&E without qualm or complaint because it contains something he enjoys greatly. Doesn’t D&D deserve the same regard? I think so. It is illegal to copy D&D. It is unethical. And in the final analysis, it might mean real loss to great numbers of people. That isn’t to say that there is the least objection to copying parts of the books for your own use or for that matter if some individual is too damn poor to afford the cost of his own copy of D&D, it is better he get a Xerox than not be able to play. But how many copies are simply made so as to profit the fellow illegally duplicating his D&D? Or how many are made in order to save the money, so as to use it for some other form of entertainment? It all boils down to the question about whether or not the laborer is worthy of his hire. Evidently Eney does not think so. I appreciate A&E’s stand with regard to this matter and letter is written primarily to vindicate it, for I doubt it will turn those with a dishonest bent from whatever course they choose.

[EDITOR: The following pertinent quotes and notes from previous issues of Alarums & Excursions were added by the admin of the original Gygax’s Legendarium website for additional context.]

From Alarums & Excursions #1 by Barry Gold

The latest prices we have are D&D $10, Chainmail $5, Greyhawk $5, dice $2.50 per set — one each D4, D6, D8, D12, D20. Chainmail is the predecessor of D&D and is useful for resolving missile fire in melee. Greyhawk is the first supplement, with new spells, monsters and treasure.

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From Alarums & Excursions #5 October 1975, “Depth Perception 2” By Dick Eney BARRY: There are mutterings of Discontent over your comment anent[Sp?] depriving Gygax of his fair share by xeroxing Dungeons and Dragons and, by extension, Greyhawk and Chainmail. as I believe that I (hem hem) am unlikely to be tagged as one of the irresponsible hippie types trying to tear down the fabric of our Free Enterprise system, maybe I’d be the right one to state them.

Firstest, let us Define Our Terms. D&D, Greyhawk, and Chainmail are fanzines (and there are more than a few Fanzines with better artwork and proofreading). That is, they are something that is published in connection with Gygax’s hobby and for fellow hobbyists; they are not his bread and butter and so we don’t have to make a baseline calculation of what brings him in a decent annual salary, as we would with a fulltime professional. On the other hand, we do have to him justice and make sure that a work which has brought us so much pleasure doesn’t wind up costing him something out of pocket. All X so far?

Now let’s make a cost guestimate. Volume I is 36 pages and a heavy cover, II is 40 pages and a heavy cover, and III is 36 pages and a heavy cover. Pages are four to a quarto sheet, so there are 18 standard- size sheets and three heavy covers. Let’s assume something I don’t really believe for a moment: that he hadn’t the information to shop around for a price break or quantity discount, and paid the prices for commercial instant-print lithography, i.e. got badly ripped off. Nevertheless, even paying premium rates like that, 1000 sets of D&D — that is, of all three booklets together — should have cost him about $733.80. If he printed 2000 at once it would have been nearer $1268.80 (or $624.40 per thousand). Greyhawk, similarly, should have stood him $341.20 per thousand; if he got 2000, then $583.00 total (or $291.50 per thousand). Any of you can check this with your friendly neighborhood instant-print lithographer, so I won’t bother with the calculations here. I did run it past George Scithers, who gets similar-size print runs for AMRA; he gets distinctly better prices for the whole operation including commercial stapling, even though AMRA uses odd-size special-order paper, runs half-tines, and is far superior in quality of repro to D&D.

Personally, I paid the full list price for Dungeons and Dragons and Greyhawk both, just as I did for other stuff like Warriors of Mars and intend to do for War of Wizards and Empire of the Petal throne and probably more. Presumably many of the rest of us did or would do the same, as a point of honor. But when somebody charges me $10 for an item that should have cost him less than 75c, that’s a markup of well over a thousand percent (unless I punched the wrong buttons, it comes to 1264% for D&D and 1366% for Greyhawk. all in all, I am not about to dump on Xerox fandom on the grounds that Gygax is being screwed every time that green light flashes.

NOTE: Comment by Sherna Burley From Alarums & Excursions #7

Dick Eney: I find your calculation of Gary Gygax’s profit frightening. You have overlooked a couple of factors, though. First, the box probably costs quite a bit (no; about 15c retail — R.E. [Dick Eney]), and its label costs something too. Second, and more important, I bought my copy from a friend, a (fan) dealer, who was able to give me a discount. This means that, whatever Gygax gets for this set, it is not always the full $10. When there are all those overhead costs, including postage on his mail orders…

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As a (partial) beneficiary of Xerox, I am glad to think, however, that he does make quite a bit more profit than seems reasonable, even if not the 1264% you calculated. (Let it be noted that I bought D&D and GREYHAWK, and would not have had the money to buy a new set to replace my lost V.I of D&D.) [I’ve never seen any offer of single volumes; does anyone know if they are replaceable other than by this sort of bootlegging? — R.E. aka Dick Eney]

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Alarums & Excursions #15

The following letter appears in Alarums & Excursions #15 and covers a pretty interesting series of topics, including house rules, Gary’s DMing style regarding miniatures and party size, and — sorta-kinda — memory….

…You’ll see

Gygax’s Letter in Alarums & Excursions #15, October 1976 Ω

Dear Lee,

Hereafter you will find comments regarding A&E 14 done in the order in which the material they pertain to appears in the zine. This is bound to cause a rather disjointed missive for which I beg your kind indulgence in advance.

Your stand regarding future publication of variant material is most appreciated, for we do not particularly feel happy to see some rehash of our copyrighted material. With regard to commercial sale of material pertaining to D&D, I can state that TSR is absolutely opposed to the practice in those cases where there is infringement upon our copyright. In the case of your supplemental material, I cannot say but will certainly tend to look more favorably on an enterprise of yours you have been most careful and conscientious regarding the rights of TSR. Please let us take a loot at the material if you wish to go ahead.

Rick Schwall played in “Greyhawk Castle” once or twice, but he either was with a very small group — I do not recall — or his memory is not good. Rob and I do not bother to place adventurers on any sort of graph if the group is three or less. All placement is easily kept track of with so few players involved in combat. When more than three persons are in a party, we always require that they align themselves in a march order, the leader be in the front rank, and changes in marching order be noted. The party keeps one copy of this, and they must furnish us with a duplicate. When combat takes place we sometimes use miniatures, otherwise paper and pencil, to record positions, actions, hits given and hits scored. My favorite grid for character positions in combat is a large sheet of staggered squares covered with acetate. Colored china markers are used to show positions, moved, etc. When running large groups through a tournament scenario, such nice touches must be done away with in the interest of time.

Lee, no matter how carefully something is written, and I am not thereby claiming D&D was written with a view towards deletion of ambiguities, there will always be some person at work to twist the content to their own ends. A classic case is the Avalon Hill game STALINGRAD, which stated the German player could place up to 8 factors of German units in Finland. As the rules did not mention Rumanian units, some of

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these clever fellows put them into Finland too! I take exception to the statement that I am not able to write very clearly. Correctly put forth in a form asserting that D&D was not written without loopholes or carefully would be quite acceptable. When I treat historical subjects, rules are written in a far different manner. Specifically to the point, magic-users are not allowed to wear any form of armor or use any form of weapon other than daggers. We have amended our treatment to allow them to use staves as weapons as well. Characters able to operate in two or more classes at once do not fall under the injunction against armor and weapons. Thieves can use nothing better than leather armor, and they may never use a shield. They may use only daggers and/or swords, magical or not. I would allow them to use a garrot or sling in some cases. Likewise, I would allow the use of a fine chainmail short of magical nature. The point is that the DM should make such decisions. (Ooops, I just blamed you for something evidently written by Glenn Blacow… Sorry!)

Glenn has quite a few novel concepts. Evidently he believes a dungeon should be rather like a fun house, with a monster behind every door and so much magic available you can’t keep track of the enchanted swords without a scorecard. Anyway, I personally dislike refereeing for expeditions above six persons, but demand usually force me to take more. The largest party we ever took into “Greyhawk Castle” was 16 — and four actually survived to tell of it. And that without 75% occupancy and no more than a half-dozen traps on a typical level. In any event, from your statements, Glenn, I do believe you could handle play in my dungeon — or even Arneson’s — and do well, but how can the clean-up crew be considered “helpless”? An encounter with an ochre jelly dropping from the ceiling can be rather devastating.

Rumors concerning the way we play D&D seem to be flying about all sorts of places, and unfortunately most of these bits of information are only partially correct at best. Dan Plerson says that we are rumored to play competitive D&D with group against group. It so happens that when we get the campaign into high gear, there is considerable competition between three or four factions, and they find it enjoyable to attack each other when the opportunity arise — and they do play to make such opportunities. As a DM I find this quite suitable. It does not occur frequently. It almost never happens during dungeon expeditions. Here is how we have things set up:

The game world is a parallel earth, but the continents are somewhat different. Most of our campaign activity takes place on what corresponds to North America, on the eastern half of the continent. The “Blackmoor” lands lie far up on the northeast coast. “Greyhawk” is in the central portion. There are a few other independently run campaigns located on this map. There are also some other dungeons related to the “Greyhawk” campaign located at some distance from the free city of Greyhawk. Players in our campaign may freely play in “Blackmoor”, but to get there they must adventure cross country. With one or two other campaigns, we do not allow any cross-campaign play other than this, for these is too great a disparity of DMing. The territory within 500 or so miles of our main dungeon is mapped out at 5 miles to the hex. Territory within 50 miles of Greyhawk city is mapped more closely, and monster locations are indicated. The entire world is mapped out in rough form, with notes regarding typical encounters in given areas as well as particular special places, for hardy souls who wish to go forth to seek their fortunes.

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Charlie Luco is quite correct. Kuntz and Ward should have known better than to fly in the face of an already published monster, and the Rakshasa business is now too late to correct. The whole of GODS’ needs correcting due to the mis-stripping done at the printer. When we do this, we will probably enlarge the format to 8 1/2 x 11, add a lot more material and make necessary corrections at the same time. Rakshasas will stay as they are in SR, and the indian demons will be properly indicated to be something else altogether.

Mr. Konkin’s ethos is rather strange in equating good with law and chaos with evil, but becoming embroiled in a philosophical discussion is the last thing in the world I need, so let’s skip it.

I do not believe that Wayne Shaw has ever played in an actual “Greyhawk” expedition, although he may have been involved in a tournament game sponsored by TSR which I had a hand in devising. From his comments, I am forced to suppose that the good man does not care to think, and his answer to problem solving is to kill. At least he got the wrong impression. I invite him to set up an appointment to have a go at the real thing, and let us see if he “naturally” slays the creatures he encounters. I lose all patience with sophomoric players of this sort; they belong in a Monty Hall dungeon.

It seems that Dungeons & Beavers players are getting paranoid. We did not design GODS’ simply to shame them or whatever. The supplement was written to conform to the major type of play going on in the country. If the beings therein do not fit into their particular manner of play, it is easy enough to ignore the whole work — or add a zero to the hit points each can take. Yes, fellows, I find 20th level to be absolutely incredible, for you won’t get it in the games hereabouts — or in most other places which I hear in talking with DMs. It makes good players angry to hear about umpteenth level characters when they have had to play two actual years, carefully and intelligently, to rise to tenth level or so.

A good example is the Origins I dungeon — incidentally drawn from a similar tomb designed by Alac Lucion. Very few of the players who engaged in the tournament were able to think out the problems. In a test run, Rob Kuntz, in his game persona as a 13th level (evil) lord went through the entire tomb in four hours actual time. He took 14 orcs and a couple of low-level flunkies with him. He lost all the party, but his character personally looted the lich’s tomb and escaped with the goodies. Rosenberg is wrong, for there were a number of ways to get out the place, although only two to get out with anything except your skin. I hope that in the future I will be able to have more individuals try “Greyhawk Castle.” It’s not as touch as “Blackmoor,” but I think it might give some few an enjoyable time.

Thanks for sending A&E along! I hear you missed GenCon West I, but I hope that you’ll make II and I’ll see you there. Arneson went to this year’s event, and it is my turn to go in ’77

Best regards,

E. Gary Gygax

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To Forge A Fantasy World: Greyhawk’s Creation The following article appeared in Horsemen of the Apocalypse: Essays on Roleplaying (Jolly Roger Games, 2000), which appears to be out of print. It is an amazing look back at the creation of Greyhawk as a campaign setting.

Originally published in JOL 003 Horsemen of the Apocalypse: Essays on Roleplaying by Jolly Roger Games (July 2000), edited by Jim Dietz. Ω

[EDITOR: The following text intros Gygax’s text, and is written by Jim Dietz.]

Frankly this book would not exist without the original efforts of those miniatures gamers in Wisconsin over thirty years ago. From those miniatures rules evolved the most popular and widely sold role-playing game in the world. Of course, that game also single-handedly created the genre of role-playing games. It was one of the high points of my weekend as a game publisher when I spoke with Mr. Gygax at a distributor’s Open House two years ago. Dungeons and Dragons and our groups adventures in the world of Greyhawk kept me out of trouble in my youth and sparked an interest in gaming that eventually led to trying my hand at publishing books and games. And even though I have the original published Greyhawk, the essay included herein contains great tidbits of information that I had been unaware of. With the forthcoming advent of the Third Edition D&D game, I’m betting Greyhawk will be leading a healthy life for a long time to come.

TO FORGE A FANTASY WORLD GREYHAWK’S CREATION Copyright @ 2000 Gary Gygax

So what do you do when a dozen eager adventurers are clamoring for more of what they love? In 1972 when adventure modules were a thing unknown, and fantasy world settings for role-playing games were unheard of, there was only one answer: Go to work on making up adventure materials, of course.

As most readers probably know, the original DUNGEONS & DRAGONS Game (1974) suggested during adventure sessions the use of outdoor terrain from another company’s game board (For the record, that was Avalon Hill Company’s Outdoor Survival game.). Even in a game where imagination is paramount, that sort of thing won’t do for long. To add to the problems of the one directing game play, the Dungeon Master (DM), there were no dungeons! So, returning to that time, late in the year 1972, we begin the story of how the World of Greyhawk Fantasy Setting was born, how it grew, and how it matured. But without any ancestors, we first must learn what led up to the making of the first commercial fantasy world to use with a role-playing game, and then only can we move on to the actual process involved in regards to the product.

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Because those new to role-playing games (RPGs) – and who at that time was otherwise? – tend to prefer the action and combat of a “dungeon crawl” to other aspects of the game for, my initial creative effort went principally into the creation of a coherent series of ever-deeper labyrinths. It seemed to me that Greyhawk was a suitable name, one that evoked the unusual, so I called the place where these dungeons were located “Greyhawk Castle”. The place was old, its upper works in ruins, but beneath them were vast subterranean mazes. Each level was named, the first being the Vaults, then came the Dungeons, the Lower Dungeons, the Crypts, and so forth. Past Catacombs and Labyrinth the daring delver eventually came to the Lesser and Greater Caves, then the Caverns, and finally, at level 13 to Maze where the Mad Archmage, Zagig, was manifest. From there the intrepid character was transported to the other side of the globe! Drawing and developing all that each of these dungeon levels contained took many months, so before the deepest part was finished, real life had moved on and the year 1973 had rapidly disappeared.

Well and good. The players were happy, except now and then the bold adventurers needed a place to go to sell off loot, seek the services of mages or clerics, as well as for a change of pace. In short, the players wanted a large community setting where they could manage special needs of their characters, and a place for those same swashbucklers to encounter the darker denizens of a city, experience other challenges quite different from those of underground dungeons. Where else, it seemed, than a city of the same name as the castle. So the City of Greyhawk sprung up as a single piece of graph paper around the same time that level four of the castle dungeon complex was being developed.

Only very gross details of the place were developed, save for the specific ones that the PCs (Player Characters) frequented. Thus there were about a dozen inns and taverns that had developed floor plans, inhabitants, and so forth. There were a score or so other locations that were likewise detailed – several temples, a wizard’s tower, the “Sages’ Guild”, the “Mercenaries Brotherhood”, a few arms & armor dealers, merchant shops, and of course moneychangers and jewelers. The wizard was never very helpful, and that was a role that was most enjoyable for the DM to assume. Eventually an irate monk (played by Terry Kuntz) dared to paint that curmudgeony spell-worker’s tower with red and white barber-pole strips. Of course the wizard took this in stride and styled himself the “Striped Mage of Greyhawk” thereafter. Another of the more amusing locations, this one of the merchant sort, was the “Mystical Trader” run by thieves who offered spurious magic items for sale, meantime doing the best to purloin the real ones possessed by the unsuspecting players. Naturally, this established changed locations frequently, and the proprietors altered their appearance with each removal.

Two major adventuring areas were thus solidly in play early on 1973. There were the castle ruins and its dungeons and there was the city, with key places that players’ characters would likely visit indicated by color: red for a tavern or inn, gold for a money changer or gemner, gray for a weapon and arms dealer, green for a merchant, blue for a temple, purple for the place of a potent wizard, etc. Other areas around the city were developed on the spot as the need arose. As a matter of fact, all of the adventures in the City of Greyhawk were “winged”, created from whole cloth on the spot, for being so immersed in the game it was quite easy to create exciting encounters, and play character roles suitable for such a fantasy city. The many players now active – out of some 30 total, 12 to 20 would typically show up for a play session – loved

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this. Even though the castle dungeon levels were deeper, the challenges greater, the rewards richer, proportionally more time was spent in “city adventuring.”

This was initially surprising, as the lure of the hidden underground mazes and the many perils of the “wilderness” had been the primary interest of players. Now, with the mazes of the city before them, and the many strange encounters possible therein, the group began to focus on the urban setting about half the time. To manage this, this single map for the City of Greyhawk became four, and there was greater detailing of important areas thereon as a mnemonic device for the DM. Was the frantic pace of development thus reduced, the players’ demands lessened, their need for places to adventure sated? Of course not.

The original band of bold adventures then recalled their derring-do in the “wilderness” (the old, generic mapboard for outdoor travel and action) and decided to venture away from castle ruins, dungeons, and city to see what lay in the land around. With colored pencils at hand and a sheet of plain paper, the region in which the City of Greyhawk lay was born in a night, enhanced in but a few more days’ time. There were many features to explore. In the great lake to the north were both monsters and piratical foes. To the south was an ever-growing borderland where brigands and savage creatures lurked in hills and forests. Eastward were swamps, and past western steppes through which a mighty river flowed were mountains. All those places too were rife with threatening things. On the land were little hamlets and villages as well, places to stop, rest, re-supply, and throw an adventure in to the bargain as well. All of this remained undetailed – special encounters were not written up. A table with random encounters served where the imagination of the Dungeon Master failed. I was pleased the players accepted my efforts with verve. In fact the rather limited region provided thus for their exploits might well have served for many months and could have been further developed at a moderate pace as they ventured further in one direction or another, save for one thing. Three of the most able and active of the players’ characters were removed from the vicinity, carried far away indeed.

The few small states that lay around the City of Greyhawk were based on the medieval model, logical neighbors for a large, free city such as Greyhawk. Having read plenty of books dealing with the history, culture, and society of the Middle Ages, this was no problem. Here a strong kingdom, but with tumultuous marches bordering it. There a county palatine, and in the hinterlands robber barons and bandit lords. This was done randomly, based on terrain. If the geography was “favorable”, than a feudal state was located in such a spot. Wild forests, marshes, great hills too were locations in which the outlaws, thieves, and worse lurked.

Hoist by my own petard! These three, separately, had attained the nadir (pinnacle in terms of success) of the dungeons, and thanks to Zagig were sent “clean through the earth” to a distant land. Having sown the seeds of my own undoing, how could I complain? So I was faced with major works of improvisation as one after another of these PCs (for the record Robilar, Tenser, and Terik) made their separate ways around the globe, seeking to reunite as they quested for their own homeland. While I was pleased with their enjoyment of the adventuring fare, it was less palatable to the DM. As it happened, each character decided on a different route for their trek. My capacity to invent interesting, different, and exciting material on the spot

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was stretched to the limit by a long series of one-character adventures, and I determined never to go through such a trial again. So as the triumphant trio of PCs who had penetrated to the lowest level of Castle Greyhawk and survived being sent as far from there as the world allowed received their well-earned laurels from their less enterprising fellows, as DM, more world building was feverishly in progress.

This time, though, I was creating on a far grander scale. I needed a world map, terrain, kingdoms, people and places. The shape of the lands and seas was not challenging, and the geographical features and major states of the many continents posed no problem. Details, though, were daunting and require a bit more explanation.

There are two methods of creating a fantasy world setting. The first, the one used to establish what was to become my campaign World of Greyhawk setting is the “pebble in the water”. Using this method one drops a creative pebble. In this case that was the castle ruins and underlying dungeons. Just as a pebble spreads rings after it hits the water, so the DM develops the details of the fantastic world around the initial entry point. The second method is the “bulls eye” one. In this case the whole of the world is developed, with increasing detail as the target center, the place where adventuring will commence, is neared. The first way of doing things is quick and dirty, and that is all that was necessary when the process began – players were anxiously awaiting new challenges, literally each and every day. When so much of the globe had been traveled, player suddenly gained a new awakening. There was a wide world waiting to be seen. What lay beyond the marches of the free city they called home?

Using the aforementioned “bulls eye” method, I sketched out the whole of the world, than began to place more detailed terrain and countries in the region that surrounded Castle and City Greyhawk. So familiar had the latter name become, though, that it was the natural apellation for the entire world. My initial globe looked a good deal similar to our earth, so I named this fantastic parallel world “Oerth” to make certain that any and all players understood it was no past or future of our own planet, but a very different and magical place. All of this sufficed for scores of participants in the campaign that was then the only “Greyhawk”. It remained that way until 1978.

The Birth of the First Fantasy World Setting:

It was, as I recall, in the late autumn of 1978 that the need for a ready-made fantasy world was unquestionable. As a matter of fact, most adult Dungeon Masters did not have the time I did for developing a campaign setting. In contrast, younger ones did have the time, but these DMs typically lacked the knowledge of geography, mythology, history, and the rest that adults acquire over years of reading, research, and experience. There I was, finished writing the Dungeon Masters Guide for the AD&D Game with no hot project waiting. So I was asked, “Don’t you have a campaign that could be used to create a fantasy world setting?” “Well, sort of” I had to confess. It was soon decided that I would provide the first world setting that TSR would publish, and I spent a couple of days pondering the task. How to go about this so as to furnish an immediately useful tool for all the DMs in need was daunting. After considerable thought, the answer came suddenly in a flash of inspiration.

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I queried, “What size map paper was the maximum, and could the product have two such maps?” When the answers came, I closeted myself in my office with several blank maps with the familiar hexagon grid overlay, plenty of colored pencils, and a lined tablet for jotting down names – for those geographical features and places that would appear on the maps to be done. In two days time I had both of the sheets filled in with mountains and hills, lakes and rivers, forests and swamps, deserts and barrens. Boundary lines were omitted, save for those of the lakes, seas and oceans. Then it was time to detail the lands and cities of this place! The questions were what to include and how much detail? What was enough, what too much? The answer to the dilemma was not really a difficult one. Instead of creating a whole world, I was creating a great continent, Oerik, the immediately “familiar” lands around the City of Greyhawk and eastwards to be known as the Flanaess because of their original inhabitants, the Flan race. All suitably fanciful and evocative of a marvelous and magical place, I thought, especially when even more magical and strange names were added. I did my best to choose names that were evocative of the fantastic, the geography, or the desired cultural setting. Not a few of those appellations were drawn from the names of persons I knew. It is a most difficult task to come up with so many names for all sorts of things, that it stretched both imagination and patience, but soon enough the naming was completed to satisfaction of all concerned. The remainder of the planet would be mentioned in only the vaguest manner, disregarded as “unimportant”, but a tantalizing matter for the reader to think about surely.

Over another week I placed cities and important towns, wrote in names on those two maps packed with exciting adventure potential. Many of the names were meant to be evocative of danger, uncertainty, the exotic – the Joten Mountains, Land of Black Ice, Suss Forest, Scarlet Brotherhood, Horned Society, Dyvers and Ekbir to name a very few. Similarly, where did the Plains of the Paynims end, how far south did the Amedio Jungle stretch, and what, if anything, lay beyond it? No answer would the map or written accompaniment make, for such is the nature of a medieval-like fantasy world. For the rest, the mighty Lake of Unknown Depths, the Nyr Dyv, and its rivers were easy, material drawn straight from my own campaign. Indeed, the entire region immediately around the City of Greyhawk came from that source. The vast balance of the continent, that part illustrated, was new and wildly varying. In order to pack a world of adventure into no more than two map sheets, much diversity, and some pretty fanciful history to support the disparate peoples and states occupying the continent, was demanded.

As an aside, and a sort of Dungeon Master’s “confession”, there was another reaosn for making the material for the published fantasy world setting unique. At the time there were a score and more of regular players in the Greyhawk campaign that I ran with a co-DM, Rob Kuntz. (Rob had been recruited to share the duties with me because of the great size of the player group, and he did an excellent job.) Information regarding the City of Greyhawk and environs was not giving anything away to the players, but to go much beyond would indeed have seriously compromised the campaign. My hopes of maintaining two separate worlds were soon dashed , as the players we DMed insisted on the published material as the “correct” geographical innformation(!) regardless of what the author told them, so only that which was not covered in the World of Greyhawk Fantasy Setting remained unique to the Greyhawk campaign.

Writing the first, relatively small booklet to accompany the two maps took as long as all the rest of the process had. So some six weeks after being asked to devise a campaign world, I turned over the rough

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draft of what was soon to be published as the World of Greyhawk Fantasy Setting. What a break for me that Darlene was the artist assigned to the task of making my draft maps into something that would please the eye and soul of a fantasy gamer. Those two maps still draw admiring comments whenever they appear. In this case visual appeal remains a considerable factor for players in the Greyhawk world drama.

Into the “continent”, Oerik, were packed diverse human “races” and states. The considerations used for making up the human “races” were pretty much fanciful, based only loosely on our own history. The Flan people, the aboriginal inahbitants of Oerik continent, were based loosely on a combination of Africans and North American Indians. The Oerid and Suel peoples were mainly drawn from the Indo-European models. The Bakluni “race” was meant to suggest the Asian, combining the Near East and Central Asia. These races alone, or in combination, provided plenty of cultural potential. “Demi-humans” and “humanoids” – the mythological and fantastic peoples known as dwarves, elves, gnomes, hobgoblins, orcs, etc. – were just slipped into things by default. That is, the setting subsumed the lot had been there when the first human inhabitants came, and whatever prior history was particular to them, severally or jointly, was not known. At the time of introduction to the milieu, all records were of human origination, and included these non-human cousins to mankind in their pages only when such details related directly to human events. Even in the “history” of the setting there appeared many unexplained, scantily detailed events. What was the cause of the geographical feature known as the Sea of Dust created during the “Rain of Colorless Fire” which occurred in the terrible Baklunish-Suloise Wars? Nowhere in that history is there mention of the Rift Canyon, but one glance at the map shows plainly it is an unnatural addition to the landscape.

Of course, a history of the peoples in regards the continent was necessary. Success in involving a reader means not merely suspension of disbelief. It demands an active belief when the reader is participating in the role-playing game activity. This I sketched out with plenty of dramatic references, but little detail so as to maintain both a sense of mystery and to enable those utilizing the world setting to inject a good deal of their own creativity into things without violating what was presented. The history also set the stage for potential “current” events in individual campaigns.

To add more verisimilitude to this make-believe world portion, things large and that seemed natural were included. Oerth has not one but two moons, has special names for the months and days of the week, and mighty deities of Good and Evil nature contending over it, and also some near-deities of once human kind. Of course, only its fauna, but even its flora had strange species, unknown to earth, and so forth. Alignments, the moral and ethical bent, were included in the regional information, as were valuable resources. All such background information was aimed at immersing the reader into the fabulous world so as to make it a place where one of adventurous bent would wish to be. That given, the many states of the place, their culture, society, and politics perforce take on more meaning. Bright heraldry was included to enable the reader to relate the states to medieval models. The formal “college” rules that are stringently applied to British heraldry were not followed in creating the armorial bearings used for the continent. While some of the rules and meanings of charges were retained, such post-medieval “laws” could and should be ignored by the creator of a fantastical world where those matters aren’t governed by a government bureau. The would-be herald for a fantasy setting should have a solid knowledge of what is now accepted as canon, then create from there as imagination and the mythical world dictate.

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Couple all that with the unexplained, and I hoped the world setting presented a great allure to the reader whose imagination reveled in the fantastic, be he the one who would direct the events (DM) or the player discovering and exploring his world through his Player Character. The World of Greyhawk Fantasy Setting was a place only slightly familiar, a fairy tale world of a sort, one in which marvelouys and monstrous things in multitudes was to be discovered. From the first reading, it was made plain that it was a place where strange and wonderful things would occur, fell creatures confront the explorer, but no matter how many adventurers one had there, there were always more awaituing. All questions could never be answered, nor all places be known.

I can not stress too much the importance of having mystery in the world setting. If one is escaping reality by means of a fantasy game, the known must be minimal, sufficient for conveying a feeling of being a native to the make-believe world, but otherwise so nebulous as to promote the sense of wonder children display about our earth. This being all too soon lost in reality, the fairy tale and the fantastic story replace the real, and the sense of wonder can continue. What the fantasy game world setting must provide is the environment to enable the participant to regain that feeling of the marvelous and inexplicable. The milieu is the vast stage upon which will be played countless dramas, and a few comedies and tragedies as well. What awaits, who will triumph, how events will turn out must never be fully answered. To do so brings one to an end as surely as does the last page of a novel. Unfortunately, many designers of world settings forget about this. If the author recalls the feeling of separation and loss when coming to the end of a much-loved book, then the matter will be moot. The milieu will be never-ending, unfold gradually, and always have some new mystery to explore, some challenge to overcome.

Fortunately, but certainly not by chance, I have been an avid consumer of imaginative literature since I was a little boy, a fan of fantasy and science fiction for a quarter of a century when I created the World of Greyhawk Fantasy Setting. Coupled with my love of history, extensive reading therein, the pursuit of fantasy and fiction stood me in good stead. I knew the pang of finishing a wonderful novel and understood the constraints of attempting to devise a fantasy world setting that sought to tell a story, as does a novel. Greyhawk was purposely written to be used with virtually any sort of fantasy campaign and with few repressive elements. Using information from our ancient and medieval history, with a dash of the early Renaissance included here and there for spice, the political and social reform of the milieu came as close to the fairy tale as a more “serious” presentation allowed. With that I added liberally from the concepts expressed by authors of imaginative literature – mainly swords & sorcery, but some considerable blend of other sort too, as anyone familiar with the bibliography in the original edition of the DUNGEONS & DRAGONS Game Dungeons Masters Guide knows. For example, the wonderfully imaginative treatments that authors L. Sprague de Camp and Fletcher Pratt provided for Norse Mythology (The Incomplete Enchanter), Finnish Mythology (Wall of Serpents), and Celtic Mythology (The Green Magician), as well as to authored myth in the Castle of Iron, were great inspirational works. So too were Robert E. Howard’s “Conan”, Gardner Fox’s “Kothar” swords and sorcery yarns, the post-apocalyptic The Black Flame by Stanley Weinbaum, and all manner of other imaginative novels and short stories falling between those. Indeed, horror of the Howard P. Lovecraft school, and “oriental mysteries” of the sort written by Sax Rohmer were taken into the fold as portions of their subject matter suited the milieu being created. Top that

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off with the wealth of interesting material to be found in Grimms’ and Andrew Lang’s fairy tales. A wealth of what is needed for forging a fantasy setting indeed!

If asked “What is the most important element of building a fantasy world?” my answer would be lengthy, for there is more than one critical element. The compelling fantasy world must be a blend of the known and fanciful, the beautiful and the repulsive, the harmless and the dangerous, reality mixed with liberally with fantasy. There must be spread a magical cloak of mystery, so that there will always be the unexplored, the unknown, and the unexpected.

Rather than continually revise and re-issue it, I had initially decided that new information for the World of Greyhawk Fantasy Setting should come through adventure modules taking place on the world. This worked very well for quite some time as a focused effort was made to devise scenarios placed on the world, adventures that more than incidentally revealed interesting information about the milieu. This sort of cross-pollination served well for the world setting and adventure module alike.

From its initial form the Greyhawk world setting released in 1979 expanded into a boxed set with two booklets of information. Demand for more information brought the publication of the new version in 1983. As with the original release, the revised material did not reveal all there was to know about the place. A comparision of the first work and the second reveals that while some useful information for DMs was added, and more details of the pantheon of deities active in the Greyhawk setting were provided, the world was still a place where mystery abounded. All of the places on the map are not detailed, every strange name is not explained as to its origination, all governments are not exposed so as to be mundane. Recently, Wizards of the Coast, the company that purchased TSR in 1998, decided to revitalize Dungeons and Dragons and specifically Greyhawk, for the setting had languished for a considerable number of years as new and different world settings were released. Then it was decided that a “war” that virtually wiped out all of the former states and wiped the political slate clean would be beneficial. As the original creator of the world, I surely would have advised against such a thing. The initial reaction to the changed world setting was quite unfavorable. Soon after the release of the revised material, the setting was essentially shelved, supported only by devoted, diehard fans that remained active in their support of the milieu, vocal in their demands for the return of the setting. The solid bases behind the World of Greyhawk Fantasy Setting did not fail, certainly, and the adherents of it were at last heard! Now it is the “default” setting for the new Third Edition DUNGEONS & DRAGONS Roleplaying Game. With the work I had put in over so many years, this action was quite gratifying as my labor of love would again be brought forward for gamers everywhere.

If one were to pose the question , “Do published game worlds evolve on there own – with their own synergy – or do they depend on the original creator’s guidance?” I would answer “yes” and “possibly”. Any vital world setting will certainly develop. Some do so with added details and supplemental information for the DM to use. Others evolve as Greyhawk did initially. My campaign was set therein, and when adventure scenarios were developed. such as the Village of Homlett and the Temple of Elemental Evil, and published, they caused changes within Greyhawk. So did material, “official” and otherwise, drawn from the six novels and one collection of short stories I wrote that were set in the milieu. Along with such offerings, a steady stream of articles in the Dragon Magazine brought new developments and lore to the milieu without

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revealing too much or so quantifying the setting as to fix it into a rigid place. (By that I mean a setting where imagination and innovation by the persons interacting with that setting were shackled. The world had bounds set by the game system it served, and its own nature as presented in the information booklets describing it. Beyond those broad boundaries, though, it was virtually wide open.) The best part of the Greyhawk work is its indeterminate world qualities where they count. This of course is the “magical cloak of mystery” mentioned earlier. States are known, detailed to some degree, but in general the sub-rosa information that the gamer is certain exists is left to the imagination, developed by the DM. When I was no longer there to assist in the direction of Greyhawk’s development, events suggest rather graphically that some guidance by a knowledgeable person is needed to keep such a work from going wrong. When Wizards of the Coast took over the direction of the world setting, they took quick and able measures to restore its former luster. Interestingly, it seems that they plan to empower the loyal fans of the World of Greyhawk Fantasy Setting to have a considerable voice, and hand, in its direction and ongoing development. This is a splendid idea since it is those fans that keep the world alive, changing, and growing.

What worries me is that the underlying mystery of the milieu could be lost. Those not fully cognizant of the absolute necessity of maintaining the secrets, the unknowns and unknowabales, will possibly be prone to revealing too much. As a stage magician must never reveal how all tricks are managed, so too the fantasy world designer. Even as one bit of legerdemain is explained, another mystifying trick must be performed! Along with the mysterious goes the indeterminate. By definition and necessity, the Greyhawk milieu is freewheeling. More details of a state and its rulers mean less room for the DM to utilize that place in an unconstrained manner, for with additional knowledge comes additional boundaries, often narrow ones. A very tight timeline might facilitate the DM who desires to faithfully follow the “history” laid out by the publisher, but it is the bane of the more creative DM who desires to direct a more imaginative campaign.

On the other hand, such detail provides the structure needed for a world setting that is to be developed and further detailed by a larger audience. At least one sage has observed that this kind of enumeration and revelation is a double-edged sword. While access is thus far greater, it also removes much of the mysterious and fantastic from the milieu. As I mentioned, it seems that much of the development of the World of Greyhawk Fantasy Setting is going to be in the hands of the Role Playing Game Association. As diverse authors are called upon to contribute to the milieu, it is indeed necessary for them to have absolutes upon which to base their work. To deliver suitable work, they require definite information regarding many more aspects of the milieu than would be necessary to quantify were only one or a select handful of developers to provide such material.

It must also be mentioned that with the advent of the Internet Age, there is an online version of the fantasy setting. In order to create and utilize such a thing, the publisher is again required to detail the milieu so that it can be shared by a large number of player participants adventuring in the same timeline. The Living Greyhawk game is a most interesting use of work, and one that will develop such details as are not otherwise possible for a traditional paper-game design. There is currently some active concern expressed online as to “historical accuracy” and the like. That emphasizes the differing needs of fantasy worlds. No question that when one is shared by many persons all active in the same version of that world (unlike

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individual campaigns versions run by the many Dungeon Masters out there), very definite parameters and a rigid timeline are necessary.

I have been asked many times about what I would do differently if I were creating the World of Greyhawk Fantasy Setting today. Given that I hadn’t done it back when I did, and I was still closely tied to the AD&D RPG system, the answer is plain. I’d likely do pretty much what I did then. After all, the work stood up very well and suffered only with some of the revisions. Even those were not fatal, and the new milieu is based on those changes. This is not to say that I now design fantasy worlds in the same way I did when I first sat down to create a magical milieu for other gamers to enjoy.

Since authoring the Greyhawk work I have designed a fair number of fantasy worlds, two of which were or are to be published. The Epic of Aerth setting for the MYTHUS FRPG done in 1992 is no longer in print. It presented a rather well-detailed world in which the unknowns lay in subterranean places, its hollow interior, and in a linked parallel mirror-image world where fairies ruled. The concept involved in its development was twofold: one part aimed at providing considerable details for GMs in regard to placing their game campaigns, and the other part meant to enable freelance authors who might desire to create adventure material for the milieu plenty of latitude for this. That is, while giving details for establishing and embellishing the campaign, I made a conscious effort to provide the opportunity for other designers to create for the world. At the same time the details provided for creating also left a milieu with room for the GMs’ “home” campaigns to be innovative. Collaterally, the other places not so quantified as the surface of the Aerth, the subterranean, hollow center, and the linked fairie world, were even more open for the mysterious and magical than was my first fantasy milieu, Greyhawk.

In creating the LEJENDARY ADVENTURE Role-Playing Game most recently, I naturally included a milieu for it, the Lejendary Earth World Setting (LE). It is slated for release in the spring-summer of 2000. Anyone interested in information on the new game system and its world setting can access my website at http://www.gygax.com/ and link from there for the relevant material. The milieu is a synthesis of the concepts of the Greyhawk setting and that of Aerth. The LE world is not as magic-intense or monster- ridden as the former, more so that the latter. The whole of the globe is detailed, but the states and peoples are treated only in summary manner. There are unexplored areas, but they are not packed with bizarre monsters and fanciful things. This milieu has a strange, if rather brief human history, economics, politics, and the mundane as well as the magical. Enough of the latter, in fact, as to make it an exciting place in which to adventure, whether dealing with humans or strange creatures. There are certainly subterranean realms. There are also inter-dimensional portals that lead to other worlds. But first

When the LE world was designed, the idea paramount in its format was to supply not only an immediate platform for Lejend Masters (LMs) to use, but also a guideline from which freelance authors could work. Immediately after completing the draft manuscript for the world setting, I continued development of a region of the globe so as to be able to provide prospective designers models for their own creative efforts in regard to world sourcebooks. What the LE world offers is a great place for ambitious LMs to create campaigns, as well as fertile ground for freelance game designers too. Because early adopters will be of creative LM mold, they will likely find the LE world setting book quite sufficient for their immediate needs.

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Two world sourcebooks are also to come for the next wave of Lejend Masters, while several others are already in development by freelancers! As the globe is detailed, special works will be designed so as to open the way into the highly mysterious and magical places that are hidden on, or are parallel to, the “known world”.

There is clearly a balance possible between the direction of the original creator and those who subsequently develop that primary creation into a greater work. To function properly, though, the world must likely be planned for such purpose. The initial design must logically be done with such addition in mind, the hand of diverse other creators being active. This sort of capacity has several facets, as were touched on here.

What is hoped for in this approach is to combine the best of all worlds… if you will pardon the pun. So to finally fully answer the last question, would I do it differently, yes. But that is qualified by having the benefit of considerable experience since I first began, and the ability to learn from others as I see the direction that other fantasy world builders are taking in their designs. Seriously, there is always the question that when one creates something new, and unless the effort is an immediate failure, that only the test of time can answer. While I am convinced that the approach that balances the known and the unknown, gives sketchy details immediately with the promise of more information to follow regularly, and offers much to game users and game produce designers alike, the verdict isn’t in yet and may never be. So you now can share with me that minor twinge that comes from being a game designer. It might wow them in Peoria, but…

Prospective world builders, take heed! There is prescious little commercial prospect for a fantasy milieu not tied to a corresponding role-playing game. Almost all current role-playing games have their own world settings. It is fine to be creative, develop a fantasy world for a game campaign or for the sheer joy doing such a thing. If it turns out splendidly, there just might be a chance that you can interest some producer of an online game, even a computer game publisher, in acquiring the property. Those are long shots, but I suspect the odds of success there are better than for paper publication. However, if a fantasy world happens to fit into the whole of the milieu in an overall scheme such as that I have devised for the LE world setting, the odds change. For example, the LEJENDARY ADVENTURE game system’s campaigning milieu might well be augmented by a world that generally meshed with its creatures, was the home planet, or sphere of some race or species of beings encountered on the LE world. Even a strange, “unworldly” setting could interest the editors. (Actually, I envision some fairly unusual ones.) While I have no personal knowledge of similar approaches to fantasy milieu building, it is possible that other publishers have or will adopt a similar approach as to that taken for the LA game system, and so broaden the opportunities for creative writers and gamers out there.

In closing, dream on, and let the wonders of your world shine!

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++

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[Note: For the record, I attempted to keep all of the article’s editing errors and mispellings “as is” for these posts. For example, the fifth paragraph from the end of the article ends in the words, “But first” and then jumps to the next paragraph. I hope you have enjoyed this look at Greyhawk from the creator’s own words as much as I have.]

[EDITOR: This was the final entry in the original Gygax’s Legendarium website.]

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An Interview with Gary Gygax from Legendary.com

This interview, conducted by Christopher Smith, was retrieved from Lejendary.com, which is now a parked site, but has been archived by the Internet Wayback Machine (that link is for the archived version; I cannot vouch for the safety of the parked domain, so I don’t recommend visiting it).

[EDITOR: For those unfamiliar with the Lejendary Adventure RPG — Gygax’s last complete RPG design — check out here’s a review at RPGNet, a second archived review, and some useful downloads and info (some from Gygax himself) on this resource page on Dragonsfoot.]

Ω An Interview with Gary Gygax Interview by Christopher Smith

I had the pleasure of conducting an interview with the legend, Gary Gygax. Here are the results of that interview. About the Lejendary Adventure RPG When did you start developing Lejendary Adventure?

GG: Parts were begun in 1994, serious work on the fantasy genre material was begun in 1995.

Has it become what you expected when you set out to do it?

GG: Yes and no. The material that’s available is what was planned, plus some excellent adventure modules unplanned for. In all, that’s a plus. On the minus side, it has been very difficult to get the word out up to now, but that’s beginning to improve. We have been plagued with setbacks in getting material to press, so as a matter of fact we are about a year behind where we had planned to be back in 1999.

Are you satisfied with the system? Why or why not?

GG: Oh yes indeed. I am very much satisfied with it. The best way to tell is to check out the volume of new core material, and associated information, and support work I am writing…daily! It will appear in LEJENDS

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Magazine soon, likely over 10 or 12 issues, plus in later releases. Right now we have the LEJENDARY EARTH book all parceled out into five sections, named, and readying for publication. Several designers are adding adventure springboards into the various parts, and I’ll likely add one or two myself just before each goes to press.

As of this time, I’m working on the LEJENDARY ASTEROGUES Fantastical Science genre expansion, and putting together requested stat additions for the creatures in the BEASTS OF LEJEND book. Then I’ll finish the information on Abilities crossing the Fantasy universe to the Fantastical Science one.

I mention the above because it confirms my original intention to make the LA system a multi-genered one.

So far so good

Do you feel you have achieved your goal with the system?

GG: Well, I have achieved what I had hoped to, and it will expand as new genres are added, and the LEJENDARY EARTH world is fleshed out. The system goes beyond the core FRPG rules, of course. So with the LA game I can say almost there–a couple of years or so and the system for it will be fleshed out pretty well. Still working to get the other genres into place.

Avatars can be Ordered or Non-Ordered. Was the whole Order thing an after-thought on your part or was it always intended to be a part of the system?

GG: Ordered Avatars were envisaged from the start of development of the FRPG. They are the archetypes. As a matter of fact, the recognized “professional” is a reality in life, is necessary, I think, to lend verisimilitude to the fantasy environment. Ordered Avatars also make it easier to begin play for those who aren’t experienced RPGers.

What reasoning did you use in developing the unique treatment of weapon damage? (I’m speaking about the fact that a dagger and a long sword do nearly the exact amount of damage in the system.)

GG: I thought about it and it seemed logical. The amount of actual physical damage one does to some living thing is pretty much the same with a 6″-long dagger or a 24″-long sword. So, based on average human Health of 20, the spread was easy…. 1-20. Then with adjustments for weapon and wielder, we move upwards overall.

Again, if one is hit with a mace or with a bardiche, the total effect is pretty much the same, right? So having a d20 as the base for weapon Harm works realistically, simply, and well.

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There is so much to do in support of the system. Many people feel that your forte has always been writing adventure scenarios, yet only one is available by you for the Lejendary Adventure system and it is only available in the Author’s and Premier Editions of the core rule books. Why is that? When can rabid fans expect a solid adventure scenario for LA much like “The Tomb of Horrors” was for the D&D system, or “Necropolis” was for the Dangerous Journeys system?

GG: First, my fans wouldn’t be playing RPGs if it wasn’t for my game authorship, eh? (^_^). That is the horse, and the rest a cart. clearly, the forte I have is designing rules, notably the D&D and AD&D systems in the past, then the DJ one, and now its the LEJENDARY ADVENTURE system. With a good system come good adventures.

Talk to Chris Clark about the lack of adventure material under my name! He is sitting on a revised version of my adventure THE HERMIT, and he also has a rough of an introductory one, LIVING THE LEJEND. The latter could be put into shape for publishing in a week on my end. Also, I am at this time expanding that module, writing a couple of extensions for it to cover the local barons stronghold and village, with some adventure material to be written in, plus a nice little dungeon crawl piece that’s being play-tested now.

When MALEDICTED comes out, there will be an accompanying adventure module co-authored by Jon Creffield and me, THE WELL OF SHADOWS. That should serve to give a few Avatars reason to wish they’d have stayed home (^_^).

TOMB OF HORRORS was just a killer dungeon. NECROPOLIS was a more complete, campaign type module. The WELL OF SHADOWS is in between those alone, but it is actually a culminating special to the sourcebook-campaign work noted, MALEDICTED.

What’s in store for the Lejendary Adventure system?

GG: About five years of genre expansion additions. Continuing adventure material and sourcebook support, novels, and a magazine that will hopefully grow in size as the game base does.

[Note: Lejends Magzine that Gary speaks of is now available as a quarterly publication.] How do you judge the success or failure of the Lejendary Adventure RPG?

GG: It is a success NOW because we have a solid core of people playing and enjoying it. It will be a full success when we get the size of that core built up so that we can release one product a month to add to the FRPG portion, maybe one a month, or every-other month, for the genre expansions.

It is a case of not seeing the forest for the trees. Right now the project is a marvelous success. Consider the amount of online support it has from gamers, and there’s a mighty fine stand of trees. Next, take a look at the number of talented designer-authors creating product for the system. Chris Clark and me aside, we have more than a half-dozen new and innovative writers producing material for product, but only two are in

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print now, the rest waiting to be read. More forest giants The response to LEJENDS Magazine is also signal. We are receiving all kinds of excellent material from yet more new creative fellows. Spring saplings aplenty.

So, the support for the LA game is a forest indeed. This support indicates that the system is very much a success. Otherwise, so many talented persons would not be contributing so much to it. To be blunt, I am satisfied that right now if I were not around to provide material, the many designers and authors who are actively involved in creating material for the system, really fine work too, would keep it going strong, growing too. This is unique to me, as a matter of fact. Prior to the LA game I have always fretted about finding others to create top-quality material. I wrote a lot of things for the LA game system so as to be sure that it was well-developed. From where I sit now, I have to smile. There are plenty of creative guys now eager to add to the game, and their work is excellent.

The LA system will fail only if its audience diminishes.

In short, as of now it’s looking pretty good About Gary Gygax When did you feel like you’d “arrived” in the gaming industry?

GG: When I became Editor in Chief for Guidon Games in late 1970. I felt pretty solidly established when Tactical Studies Rules was able to release the D&D game in 1974, and know that was for sure in 1975.

What accomplishment related to gaming are you most proud of?

GG: Writing and publishing the first RPG, I recon Then likely founding GenCon.

What about your most proud moment in life?

GG: Golly, I don’t know. I’ve been pleased and happy a lot, but “proud” seems like chest-puffing and all…

Most recently, the standing ovation I got from the huge crowd at GenCon 2000 was a real moment, humbling rather than prideful, though.

Maybe fatherhood.

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Standing up to the people who were wrecking TSR, demanding a change in management, I’m proud of doing that even though it didn’t end up so marvelously…

Describe the average day in the life of Gary Gygax.

GG: Get up early. Get to work at 6:30 or 7 AM, close down at around 6:30 PM, have a martini, talk with Gail, watch a little telly, and eat dinner. Then play a boardgame or cards, with son Alex and Gail perhaps, or else read or watch the tube some more. That’s about the routine seven per these days. Thursdays I quit work at 5 PM, though, to get ready to LM the campaign here. On Sundays during pro football season I quit work at noon and watch that.

We get out to see a film, go to a party, occasionally. Now and then I travel, or we all take a trip for a day or two. We haven’t had a real vacation at all for several years.

When you aren’t corresponding with fans, doing pesky interviews, or developing material for the LA system, what do you enjoy doing with your time?

GG: See above. If I can I like to play a bit of military miniatures or board wargame, read, even go fishing– vacation assumed. Dining out in a good restaurant is much beloved, especially if the wine list there is likewise worthy. Travel is great–when I don’t have to work a con all the time. Last break that way was when Alex and I visited Francois Froideval back in the fall of 2000–a good five days there!

Should I ever have lots of time I’d likely do some shooting again, go swimming often, maybe break out the stamp collection, that sort of thing.

Have you ever had a really “scary” fan experience? Care to share it with us?

GG: No, I haven’t. Maybe I scare off scary fans (^_^). As a matter of fact I’m capable of being fairly intimidating, but in general I suspect because I genuinely like and respect most gamers, I’ve avoided bad experiences.

I have had death threats from non-gamers back when the media was indulging in an orgy of yellow- journalistic exploitation of the bogus claims made about D&D being all sorts of bad. Those were not frightening to me, but I assure you that I took those threats seriously, and likewise took measures to protect myself from them.

Where do you find the energy to maintain your level of production?

GG: Love of fantasy, history, and games surely! There’s also a certain neurotic compulsion I have to be creatively working. My mind is always active unless I lull it off with a libation or two…

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How do you manage to put out such a high level of creative material?

GG: Thank you for that esteem! Some of it comes from inspiration, some from playing games, and the rest, likely the majority, from plain hard work to produce something that is especially enjoyable for those who share in gaming and fantasy creations.

Who is your hero?

GG: In all I suppose I have quite a few persons who I greatly admire. Having lived as long as I have, “hero” isn’t applicable, I suppose… Of the list that springs to mind, in no particular order, are: Thomas Jefferson, Orson Wells, Ernie Kovacks, Steve Allen, Jack Vance, Groucho Marx, George S. Patton, my father and maternal grandfather (my paternal grandfather died when I was about age two), my mother, both grandmothers, and Bruce Lee. Then there’s William Shakespeare, Richard Cour de Leon and a bunch of others from history–enough!

What’s the best gift you were ever given by another human being?

GG: Life!

Thereafter come such things as love, tokens of that created by my children, that sort of thing ;-}>

If God came to you and said, “Gary, you’ve got time enough for one more project, then you’re coming with me,” what would you choose for your last project?

GG: Something I have considered before. Likely I’d have to drop game work and concentrate on putting all the information I can remember about the family (paternal and maternal), what I learned from them, my own experiences, and that sort of thing down in a journal to pass along to my children, for their’s, and the generations beyond. Fact is, I think a lot of what I was taught, gathered, and learned is worth keeping. Heritage and “wisdom” and simply personal family and local history enrich the one able to tap such information. As it is I wish I had garnered more from my grandparents and parents.

—

The Lejendary Community would like to thank Mr Gygax for being so available to his fans. Gary Gygax is a genuine person, who cares about those around him; we should all count it a great privilege to have him so close and readily available to our inquiries and suggestions. Thank you Gary for all the years of fun and enrichment you’ve brought to our lives in various ways. Keep up the good work and we’ll keep pestering you for even more! Copyright © Christopher P Smith, all rights reserved. VIP code: goGary Logo Image © Stathis Catomeris, used with permission.

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[EDITOR: Please note that the entirety of that article is reprinted for archival purposes. None of this is meant as a challenge to any trademarks or copyrights, so if you’ve got a problem with this stuff being posted and you are the official holder of any such trademarks/copyrights, please contact me!]

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22 Questions on Tharizdun answered by Gary Gygax

The first archived version of the site appears on 1/31/2009; I’m unclear of when the interview itself took place or who originally ran the site. If anyone has further details, leave me a comment! Ω

22 Questions on Tharizdun as asked by Michael Kasparian

Gary Gygax wrote:

Greetz, Mike:) I’ll not skip 10 and 21, let you compare what I say now with “canon” from the past as it were, even though when I said I’d answer questions I didn’t expect the Spanish Inquisition!

There seems to be two images of Tharizdun. On the one hand, there’s the awesomely powerful deity from the Gord books who was imprisoned in seemingly primordial times. On the other hand, there’s the largely unknown deity of the pure canon sources such as WGR3, WG4, and the boxed set(s), and this deity “seems” to have been imprisoned more recently. In that case, perhaps the one captured later was really an avatar that had until that time escaped detection. We would like your ideas on resolving this, in answering the question:

Q1: WHEN WAS THARIZDUN ORIGINALLY IMPRISONED? Certainly the deity could not logically have been imprisoned in primordial times, or how would Tharizdun then have a cult of followers. However, let us assume that something was done to diminish his power so as to prevent Tharizdun from wreaking havoc throughout the cosmos. In mythological terms, think of it as akin to the banishment of Set to a distant star so that his evil would not have so great an impact on Egypt.

In Artifact of Evil (pg47), you wrote, “Aeons ago, he was trapped by those deities who understood that this greatest Evil must be fettered or all Goodness would perish from this world and possibly the entire multiverse.” This description above is broad enough to include Good and Neutral deities, and you mention

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this alliance as a reaction to the threat of the Theorparts uniting. So, we would like to know some details on:

Q2: WHO SPECIFICALLY WERE THESE DEITIES, AND ARE THEY STILL INVOLVED IN GREYHAWK? While I did not make a list of the deities opposing Tharizdun, I certainly assumed all of the major good and Neutral ones working in concert to so do. John Argenziano emailed me recently to suggest that possibly Pelor was the single deity that might arise to assume still greater stature so as to oppose the consummate threat of Tharizdun. In this regard, I would agree, for indeed I had Pelor in mind as the instigating force in the combination against Tharizdun. Incidentally, the deities of Evil, and in my mind those include the major demons and greater devils, as is always the case in mythology, did not oppose those of Good and Neutral alignment in the assault on Tharizdun for obvious reasons. In their view, better even a petty but free and independent status than the chief servant of another having to do the bidding of that master.

Also in Artifact of Evil (pg47), you go on to describe how the prison was an enmeshment that used his own powers against him. “…he could still exist and wield a limited wickedness bound as he was.” ” No binding…could destroy him, but they enwrapped him in blackest realms, in a slumber so total only faint echoes of…vileness could exude from him.” This leads to a couple questions:

Q3: IS HE TRAPPED IN THE “DEMIPLANE OF IMPRISONMENT” FROM THE DESCRIPTION IN MANUAL OF THE PLANES? I don’t think that the work cited is well thought out in this regard. If there was such a plane, it would be too well-known, and far too simple a matter to visit and pull a jail break, so to speak. Instead, envision if you will an infinite cosmos, and the potential to create all manner of new dimensional sets so removed from probabilities that a search of the combinations would take an eternity to complete but a fraction of the possibilities. In short, the combination imprisoning Big T created a special isolation cell, as it were, and contained the major portion of this entity therein.

Q4: DOES THE NATURE OF HIS IMPRISONMENT ALLOW FOR ITS CYCLICAL WEAKENING, ALLOWING HIM TO EXERT HIS MALIGN INFLUENCE FROM TIME TO TIME (CREATE AVATARS, ANSWER PRAYERS, BESTOW SPELLS) (SOME OF US SPECULATE THAT HE CAUSES MASS DESTRUCTION EVERY 1000 YEARS OR SO, TO ELIMATE WORSHIPPERS OF THE DEITIES WHO IMPRISONED HIM (TWIN CATACLISMS AFFECTED MANY SUEL AND BAKLUNI ?

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As was made clear, all of the power of Tharizdun could NOT be contained, and so he has always had minor avatars extant after the imprisonment. In my mind these avatars do not necessarily understand their own status, or even know of their source. they work in virtual blindness and ignorance struggling to accomplish what they know not, but their actions are so guided so as to eventually make the loosing of their progenitor possible. Indeed, each small success in this regard creates a minute fracture in the imprisoning substance, so that a bit more of the power of Tharizdun and be sent forth. While I had not contemplated the scenario of a thousand year surge cycle, if you will, it IS a very interesting idea. Assuming that for one one-thousandth of each millenium of imprisonment Tharizdun “awakes” slightly and is able to directly influence things because no binding can ever be perfect in the magical formulation as postulated in all mythology, then such a cycle is reasonable. Indeed, it does explain not merely the Rain of Colorless Fire and the Invoked Devastation in the Suel-Baklunish Wars, but perhaps even the more recent cataclysm that overtook Oerth:)

Q5: IF YOU ANSWERED YES TO Q4, IS THIS CYCLICAL NATURE TIED TO ANYTHING IN PARTICULAR? (MAYBE THE CYCLE OF THE SOLAR SYSTEM, FOR A REGULAR CYCLE, OR THE DISCOVERY OF SOME OF THE THEORPARTS, FOR IRREGULAR CYCLES) If accepted as part and parcel of the binding of Tharizdun, then the cycle would be of exactly 1,000 years. However, the avatars of Tharizdun, as well as the Theorparts activation, would cause aberrations in the cycle, including adding lesser “windows” or increasing the effect of the periodic one in regards the amount of energy available to Big T.

Speaking of the Theorparts, from several chapters in your Gord the Rogue novels, the Greytalkers ask:

Q6: WHO CREATED THE THEORPARTS? IT SEEMS UNLIKELY THAT THE SAME DEITIES WHO IMPRISONED THARIZDUN WOULD HAVE CREATED THESE ARTIFACTS OF EVIL THAT CONTROL THE DENIZENS OF THE LOWER PLANES. This seems to be a FYI sort of query with no real bearing on anything. However, I considered them as being made perforce as part and parcel of the Binding. In order to bind the great evil, one must by the operational laws of magic also create that which will undo it. So indeed I considered the Theorparts as having been forged by the Good and Neutral deities. While they control the lesser entities of the Lower Planes, these artifacts also enable the freeing of Tharizdun. They are thus not useful to any but the greatest Evil.

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Q7: WHO CREATED THE RELIC (THE INITIATOR?) THAT GORD AND CURLEY FOUND IN THE CAIRN OF _SAGA OF OLD CITY_? THE IMPRISONING DEITIES, OR OTHERS? As above. The “key” to unlock Tharizdun’s prison would necessarily be most complex and arcane.

Q8: IN “SEA OF DEATH” WE LEARN THE SHAPE OF ONE THEORPART, AN INKY BLACK CONE WITH HORNS. HOW DO THE THEORPARTS FIT TOGETHER? To be frank, I did not consider the shape of the others, save that each was different, but their fitting is another matter. When the three portions are brought together, they flow and merge into a single object without need for any interlocking as if a jigsaw puzzle, for example.

Q9: IN SEA OF DEATH, ECLAVDRA USED A THEORPART TO SUMMON HORDES OF DEMONIC CREATURES. MOMENTS LATER VURON USED THE SAME THEORPART TO TURN BACK TIME. WHAT ARE EACH THEORPARTS INDIVIDUAL POWERS? OR ARE THEY THE SAME? Again, I did no extensive quantification of these items as I never intended them to be employed in the game. They are a literary device, and thus their capacities are kept as vaguely defined as possible. However (again:), I did consider one related directly to each of the Lower Plane groups–the Lawful, Neutral, and Chaotic Evil. summonings would be linked to related planes. Other powers, all of deital sort, would be more general and loosely related to the innate capacity of the wielder. Hope that helps.

Q10: WHAT WOULD HAPPEN IF ONLY TWO THEORPARTS WERE “ASSEMBLED”? ARE THERE DIFFERENT COMBINATIONS? There are not different combinations. Two can’t be merged. Each remains a separate, and malign quasi-entity perhaps, until all three are in conjunction. then they flow and meld into the key that unlocks the prison of Tharizdun. Note: Only one of much more than normal human power and capacity can manage to utilize the energies of a Theorpart. Only one of deital sort can cause these potent artifacts to conjoin. Let’s move to WG4 The Forgotten Temple of Tharizdun. This text is from the module itself: “The Temple was built in a previous age, a secret place of worship to Tharizdun, He of Eternal Darkness. It drew the most wicked persons to it, and the cult flourished for generations, sending out its minions from time to time to enact some horrible deed upon the lands around. However, a great battle eventually took place between Tharizdun and those opposed to his evil. Unable to destroy him, they were strong enough to overcome his power and imprison him”

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Q11: FROM YOUR TEXT ABOVE, WHEN WOULD YOU SAY WAS THE TEMPLE IN THE YATILS MOUNTAINS WAS CONSTRUCTED? I had in mind that it was built not long after the Suel-Bakluni Wars. While I hadn’t contemplated the cyclical energy release for T, this does indeed seem to mesh with such a notion. Again, in the module, I considered the “Tharizdun” worshipped by the temple builders as an avatar of the true one imprisoned long before that time. What I was thinking of, though, is another, lesser “crusade” by the Good-aligned deities (sans Neutral) against a strong Avatar calling itself Tharizdun, the alliance of deities chaining and packing off that extension of the greater, so as to keep the prison from being rupture by the growing presence of the greatest evil one in the general cosmos (and its center, the world of man, of course:).

Q12: IN THE NOVELS, THE THEORPARTS ARE SEEMINGLY HIDDEN IN REGIONS OF SUEL OCCUPATION (TILVANOT PENINSULA, THE SUEL CITY IN THE SUSS FOREST, THE “CONE OF THE MAGI” IN THE “TEMPLE” OF THE FORGOTTEN CITY (CITY OUT OF MIND) IN THE SEA OF DUST). DID THE SUEL REVERE THARIZDUN, OR REVILE HIM? DID THEY BUILD THE TEMPLE IN THE YATILS, OR SIMPLY FIND IT? The Suel didn’t desire to revive Tharizdun, but they were darkly ambitious and wished to use the powers of Big T for their own aggrandizement. They played with fire and then got burned. When thereafter the temple was built, it was by third or fourth generation Suloise who had confused the power of the Theorparts with that of Tharizdun. (Only the truly insane human would revere Tharizdun, seek his return, to my thinking.)

Continued from WG4, “After a time his servants returned again to the Temple, deserted as it was of any manifestation of their deity. Amongst these wicked folk were many powerful magic-users and clerics. All sought with utmost endeavor to discern what had happened to Tharizdun, so that he could be freed and returned to rule over them once again. All attempts were in vain, although the divinations and seekings did reveal to these servants of Eternal Darkness that a “Black Cyst” existed below the Temple. By physical work and magical means they delved downward to reach the Black Cyst. What they discovered there dismayed and disheartened them. In the hemisphere of black needlerock (floating as if by levitation) a huge form could be seen. Was this the physical manifestation of Tharizdun? None could tell. The misty form was black and indistinct and enclosed in vaporous purple energy as well. No ritual, no spell, no magic could pierce the enigma. As time passed, the seekers ritualized their attempts to determine if this was their imprisoned deity. ”

Q13: ARE THESE MAGES AND PRIESTS THE SUEL? OR SOME OTHER HUMAN RACE?

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Suloise, as well as those who were then associated with them, for there was a considerable mingling of “races” at this time. I envisaged the group to be mainly the power-hungry and self-seeking as the group assembled.

Q14: JUST WHAT IS IN THE CYST, ANYWAY? As there are tendrils of energy emanating from that distant and virtually unlocatable place in which Tharizdun is imprisoned to the power center (Oerth), the cyst is one of them. It is the incalculably removed Tharizdun attempting to manifest himself so as to get free. I attempted to convey the eerie, unknown, and the even pathetic in the passage cited. Tharizdun wishes to raise both pathos and sympathy, as well as lust and greed in those humans he can influence.

NOW we humbly ask you to clear up some points relevant to S4, _The Lost Caverns of Tsojcanth_ (this one is nearest and dearest to my camapaign!). In an online chat, you were quoted as identifying Tsojcanth as the arch-mage who imprisoned Tharizdun.

Q15: WHO EXACTLY, WAS TSOJCANTH? (SOME SPECULATIONS: A SUEL MAGE OF POWER, AN ELVEN ARCH-MAGE, A SUEL MAGE OF POWER TRAINED BY THE ELVES, AN EVIL/GOOD CONJURER/SUMMONER). Once more, I have no file of data dealing with Tsojcanth. I imagined him as one of the exceptionally potent magic-wielders who arise amongst humans every so often. I considered him the channel used by the Good deities for the further abridgement of the actual Tharizdun, as it were. Tsojcanth and a circle of other mages of good alignment, and certainly others of like persuasion and other capacities, assailed and defeated the followers of the avatar Tharizdun, and then by sympathetic means, and empowered by deital power, Tsojcanth (and his associated mages lending their power to him so as he could survive channeling of deital energies) forced the avatar Tharizdun to rejoin its parent entity. I did not identify Tsojcanth as to race, but I think he was more likely Flan or Oeridian than a Suloise. He was certainly human and of Good alignment. Perhaps to better convey the matter, there should be a distinction between the entital imprisoning and the chief avatar imprisoning–greater and lesser, if you will.

Q16: WHAT ARE THE APPROXIMATE DATES, OR AT LEAST THE ROUGH PERIOD OF TIME, DURING WHICH TSOJCANTH WAS ACTIVE IN THE FLANAESS? I had a rough idea that the matter surrounding the Tharizdun-avatar imprisonment was about 750 years prior to the introduction of the module into the timeline. The imprisoning

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of Little T was dear to him and his associates, for with it they gave up their mortal beings, so from that time the locale was lost.

Q17: DID TSOJCANTH ACTUALLY IMPRISON THARIZDUN, OR DID HE SIMPLY THWART THE LAST ATTEMPT TO FREE HIM? DID HE SCATTER THE THEORPARTS TO THE VARIOUS SUEL LOCALS? Tsojcanth and his allies did imprison the Tharizdun avatar, as noted. In my mind this was done BEFORE the Theorparts could be sussed out and gathered. however, as that is actually moot, one could devise an interesting adventure in the past on this basis: 1) The minions of Tharizdun are seeking to return to the past and alter the course of events. 2) Those opposed to Tharizdun are alerted to the attempt and send their own team back to prevent the tampering. 3) Tsojcanth and company have their hands full with what they must do, so they can’t help the team, but likewise the bad guys can get no aid from little T and his forces, they being busy contending with the assault of Tsojcanth. 4) The time-travelling Evil group is bent on locating and bringing to avatar Tharizdun the Theorparts, but they can’t use them themselves for any purpose, or else the potent Neutral forces will immediately intervene and send the time-travelers back. 5) The good team must prevent the theorparts from being brought to the vicinity of the avatar Tharizduns power base, but instead must get them and convey them to the locale of Tsojcanth.

Q18: FROM Q4, WE ASKED IF THE PRISON WAS CYCLICAL IN NATURE. IF THIS WAS SO, WAS IT DURING ONE OF THE PERIODS WHEN HIS PRISON WAS WEAKENED THAT TSOJCANTH WAS INVOLVED IN HIS “IMPRISONMENT” OR MAYBE “RE-IMPRISONMENT”? See above as to the cycles. Timelines might impose themselves on this otherwise interesting concept. However, if they can be made to fit it, I would suggest the idea works perfectly in regards the dire and continuing peril and threat of Big T.

Q19: WHAT DID IGGWILV FIND OF TSOJCANTH’S THAT MADE HER SO POWERFUL? WAS SHE THE POWER BEHIND THE DEMONOMICON? OR DID SHE DEVELOP TSOJCANTH’S RESEARCH? I thought of it as a sort of “know thy enemy” matter. Tsojcanth complied and hid away all manner of information and things relating to Evil. Iggwilv, being of Chaotic bent and Evil disposition, discovered and read that which resonated with her perspective. She simply compiled material she discovered into the work cited, the DEMONOMICON, so she could employ the power thus contained for her own ends. Iggwilv was by no means interested in loosing Tharizdun, which should go without saying. However, like most Evil ones, greed and hubris often combine to cause some fatal overreaching.

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Just three more from S4, slightly off topic, but several were repeatedly begging for resolution:

Q20: IGGWILV IS DRELNZA’S MOTHER – WHO IS DRELNZA’S FATHER? I never actually set that forth anywhere. (Perhaps even Iggwilv isn’t certain:) Drelnza isn’t so potent as to be the offspring of a great demon, but more I can’t say with “authority”. As you (collectively) are the most actively interested, perhaps you can decide the matter of paternity here on the List. If it seems reasonable, I’ll certainly lend my agreement, and then it can be passed on to WotC/TSR for “Imprimatur”.

Q21: WHEN (IN COMMON YEARS) DID IGGWILV RULE THE PERRENLAND? Let’s see how well this matches with what you have discovered. As best I can recall, I thought that she was in power there for a relatively brief time some 500 years in the past. Once more, I remind all that I did not pin down actual times save where absolutely necessary so as to not constrain any future creative developments. Keep that in mind as you seek to detail every moment of the past. Each time you do that you disallow anything not set forth then to ever be. Allow creators as much latitude as possible.

Q22: WHEN WAS GRAZZT IMPRISONED BY HER, AND WHEN DID HE BATTLE FREE? Timelines! Ah, well, I thought of it as about 200 years before the “present” as given in the ToEE. So, having at last reached the last of the questions, but knowing that this by no means is likely to be the end of the matter, what with those who love to disagreeably disagree, I await your further advice and inquiry. As a side note, I must say that I think that WotC/TSR is ignoring the potential of this List, and the WoGFC as well, in compiling, detailing, and CREATING material for the setting. Speaking from the heart, I can assure you that were I still in a position to do so, I would be seeking to utilize GreyTalk participants as both “play-testers” and for generation of useful resource material pertaining to the WoG, and along with that, likely adventure creators too. Oh, wait! I need to qualify the above statement. Insert, “With a couple of notable exceptions” just before “I would be seeking” (^_^). Ciao! Gary Gygax

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We here at neuronphaser.com make no claims to trademarks or copyrights in this interview. If anyone has additional information about this interview, please let us know in the comments.

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