GARY GYGAX Q&A PART IX

Most of our players also were avid board gamers and

miniatures players before playing D&D. So...
They were used to "killing" off each other on a mass scale before hand.
I guess this accepted norm was just transferred to 1 on 1
with all of the chaotic results.

BTW: The Burmania was ever present, and I only lightly

detailed Burman's above reaction: there are the bulging eyes,
my concerned thoughts that he was going to hyperventilate and
die as he choked on laughing in-at-out as he breathed, etc.
Kinda sounded like the freak in the Goonies...

I will relate another true life story about Burman later--just

ask for Episode 2 when interested. [RJK] http://piedpiperpublishing.yuku.com/topic/2020

[Rob...How long in real time did you play him? How long in game time? And what level did he end up?]

Real time?

Wow, 1973-1977, then some minor cameos thereafter.

Never tracked game time.

18th level for a finish. [RJK] http://piedpiperpublishing.yuku.com/topic/2026

The only time I did map is when it got me into trouble with a recurring transporter, which had Gary on the
floor, guffawing, when I finally perceived that I had drawn major areas of the map over and over again.

All graph paper was then incinerated and I went back to memory mode. [RJK]
http://piedpiperpublishing.yuku.com/topic/2027

Quij was irrevocably 4th level; EGG said that he couldn't advance in levels. But he was a hero amongst
orcs, and many orcs had heard of his exploits (his one troll-killing episode, while standing shoulder-to-
shoulder with Robilar and Terik). [RJK] http://piedpiperpublishing.yuku.com/topic/2028

[Robilar came close to acquiring the Magic-User's crown in the Greyhawk dungeons, where did he pick up
the Cleric's Orb? And just what did Mordenkainen need his Golden Horde for when he went to assist him
while delivering it to Zuggtmoy's clerics? Did Mordy always travel with his Mongol-like horde?]

The orb, to my best recollection as we were still using the Outdoor Survival Map for outdoor adventures
then, was retrieved south of Greyhawk.

Mordy and followers never escorted Robilar to Lynn. Where does this information derive from?

Yes, oftentimes EGG's PCs/NPC’s with HORDE, went on sweeps, sacking towns which did not cooperate,
killing catchable monsters (usually evil ones) and otherwise laying down a path of destruction. EGG
thought it was fun to overpower lairs of dragons with a thousand horse archers and pepper them to death
with arrows as these came forth to see what the disturbance outside was. He put me up against the wall
quite often with this horde, until I later tripled and quadrupled encounter strengths (heh).

He also adventured with his normal group (3 or 4 from the Circle).

I now refer to such a mass tactic as "Adventure on Steroids." [RJK]

http://piedpiperpublishing.yuku.com/topic/2030

[Did Robilar go in [ToEE] alone or was Otto present? ]

Alone. [RJK] http://piedpiperpublishing.yuku.com/topic/2029

I seemed to be in the right place at the wrong time.

Robilar always proceeded circumspectly (invisible, listening at doors, etc.). If he heard too much he
avoided the area, proceeded onward.

Those that fought me were usually taken by surprise. And you must remember his girdle and his ring of
spell turning.

Little bits and pieces of temple trash flying everywhere.

Now those were the days! [RJK] http://piedpiperpublishing.yuku.com/topic/2029

[Robilar had] +3 sword, +2 plate, +3 shield and boots of elvenkind (for sneaking around while invisible).

I also had either a djinn bottle or efreeti bottle (but both had perished by ToEE) in case I needed help, and a
bag of holding.

No holds barred adventuring. Fight or flee, that was the main question in any EGG adventure, because
things were surely waiting in the wings as reinforcements. That's why I avoided opening too many doors.
And, I vacated battle areas quickly so as to dodge said reinforcements. [RJK]
http://piedpiperpublishing.yuku.com/topic/2029

[How did Robilar get his dragons?]

Random encounter.

Robilar was with Otto (then 7th or 8th level, re-- Enchanter or Warlock) and had an Efreet Bottle (not a
djinn, that was later with the Troll Debacle).

The afrit died, I was badly damaged and Otto had even taken some breath damage when he'd stepped in to
throw his charm monster spell, which actually charmed one of the adults (luckily). Robilar was about 11th
level then.

Ah, the days of complete risk! [RJK] http://piedpiperpublishing.yuku.com/topic/2033?l=1

Unfortunately Serten's short-lived life ended with a finger of death to the chest where he missed his save.
That might have something more to do with the fact, as that happened very early in the original game.
[RJK] http://piedpiperpublishing.yuku.com/topic/2039

IIRC, Ernie's PCs (mostly Tenser) did have a propensity for making saves, such as when he subdued his
Red Dragons, he made all of the breath checks. Serten (again, IIRC) was only 7th or 8th level when offed
by Tom Champeny's PC. [RJK] http://piedpiperpublishing.yuku.com/topic/2039?page=2