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Post by Finarvyn on May 27, 2008 10:56:05 GMT -6
This is what I sent to Dave:
The point of this thread would be to put a bunch of general Q&A topics in the same place. My hope is that we at Original D&D Discussion can welcome one of the founders of the game with open arms and generate some friendly dialogue.
Again, to emphasize a few points: 1. Dave doesn’t “do” message boards much. Ever. It’s a privilege that he has actually signed up here. Please don’t scare him away. 2. I want everyone to be clear on the point that Dave is under no obligation to post answers. If he wants to reply, that’s great. If not, so be it. I don’t want to pressure Dave on this. 3. There are certain parts of the history of OD&D that Dave is legally not allowed to talk about. This is not a place to post those snarky “Dave did this” versus “Gary did that” types of arguments. Please respect this.
Otherwise, let the questions begin....
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Bard
Level 3 Conjurer
The dice never lie.
Posts: 87
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Post by Bard on May 28, 2008 7:23:53 GMT -6
I was hoping that someone starts before me, because I'm generally too shy, and don't have very good English skills, but I'm interested in a few things, so I must start the questioning... So, Dave, first I want to thank you for inventing d&d (or whatever the legally accepted term for your part in it). I haven't read much from you I don't own any Blackmoor resources mentioned in this boards. But recently, when I became interested in rpg history, and started browsing the Internet, I found a few interviews with you, have read gsvenson's remembering of "The First Dungeon Adventure", and a recent account of a game session you DM-ed at a con, and one of the players talked about it at another message board. So few information, but highly inspirational! It seems to me, that you highly love this game, have been playing it still, and regularly, very much with the original light rules system. I want to ask you that is this true? And what other rpg rules systems do you know and/or tried? Why do you use the system you use, and how much it differs from the known od&d system? Another question: It is known that you first invented this game after you spent a week reading Conan, and watching B category horror films (It seems like one of the dream vacations for me... ) So my question is, was it Robert E. Howard Conan, or something else/not important? And what other fiction you read/watch/like, for inspiration/amusement?
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Post by Rhuvein on May 28, 2008 20:10:02 GMT -6
Greetings Mr. Arneson and welcome to the forum. Glad to have you with us.
I’ve enjoyed reading posts and messages from some of your players who shared with us their remembrances about gaming with you and wanted to ask you about being a player in another’s game
Recently Rob Kuntz released his module The Original Bottle City and mentioned you as a player (monk PC – your prize was 2-8 smoke bombs) along with Brian Blume, Mike Carr, Ernie Gygax, Don Kaye, Mike Mornard, David Sutherland and Jim Ward among others.
Would you care to share with us, any thoughts or recollections about Bottle City or any other games that you played in back in the day.
Thanks,
Rhu. ;D
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Post by crimhthanthegreat on May 28, 2008 20:26:13 GMT -6
Welcome!! Dave!! Great to have you here at the site. It is a privilege and an honor to finally have the chance to tell you directly, Thank You for all your contributions to OD&D and to old school gaming. I have a copy of the FFC and find it to be an inspiration every time I read it. I also have read gsvenson's remembering of "The First Dungeon Adventure". I know that we all wish there were transcripts of all the early adventures. While having you answer questions would be fantastic, personally I would like to hear more about your games themselves if you are moved to share them with us.
Bottom line, even if you just hang out and rarely post, I am just happy to have had this chance to say Thank You, my life and that of my friends and family are richer for your efforts all those years ago. Great memories!
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darneson
Level 3 Conjurer
Co-Creator of OD&D
Posts: 56
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Post by darneson on May 29, 2008 20:35:00 GMT -6
Well it was a weekend without any other gaming, not a whole week.
I used Conan was an example because they were so bad. I read about three books a week back then.
Did you mention the popcorn? ;-) it was a magic paintbrush I used on the Wizard's tower in Greyhawk. I thought that the barber pole effect was nice.
I have tried everything from GURPS to Traveller to EPT. I just like 'my' D&D best. Yes I like refering RPGs.
Dave Arneson
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Post by Zulgyan on May 30, 2008 11:08:04 GMT -6
I just like 'my' D&D best. Very interest to hear about that! How is your D&D today, in broad strokes? (Details are welcomed of course!) I write you as a fan from Argentina! Cheers, Z.
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busman
Level 6 Magician
Playing OD&D, once again. Since 2008!
Posts: 448
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Post by busman on May 30, 2008 11:09:33 GMT -6
If an enterprising and resourceful fan were to create a solid PDF of the Dungeonmaster's Index and/or FFC, would you be interested in seeing it and possibly releasing it?
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Post by Rhuvein on May 30, 2008 13:39:38 GMT -6
it was a magic paintbrush I used on the Wizard's tower in Greyhawk. I thought that the barber pole effect was nice. Haha, and so did the wizard, I believe! ;D Thanks.
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Post by calithena on Jun 1, 2008 6:29:17 GMT -6
Dave Arneson has graciously granted Fight On! an interview for the upcoming issue #2. I will be conducting the interview. If there are any particular questions you would like asked, please email them to calithena@gmail.com with "Dave Arneson Questions" in the subject line. I can't promise to ask all questions submitted, but I'll put together as many of them as I can.
Thanks to Dave Arneson and in advance to all of you who submit questions for the interview!
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Bard
Level 3 Conjurer
The dice never lie.
Posts: 87
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Post by Bard on Jun 3, 2008 7:54:03 GMT -6
Thanks for the answer. That Conan thing had mislead me... So the inspiration came primary from a weekend of bad fiction and popcorn, and not from the genius of Robert E. Howard... As I think of it more and more it makes sense to me... I have another thing I want to ask. In your opinion, what makes a good referee? Is it something to be learned, or it's just a state of mind? And what would you advise for someone who want to run a successful od&d fantasy campaign?
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Post by Finarvyn on Jun 3, 2008 10:59:23 GMT -6
I used Conan was an example because they were so bad. That Conan thing had mislead me... So the inspiration came primary from a weekend of bad fiction and popcorn, and not from the genius of Robert E. Howard... Not to put words in Dave's mouth, but keep in mind that in the 1960's the only Conan really out there for general reading was the DeCamp/Carter variant and not the pure REH works. (Unless Dave was a real collector of old Weird Tales mags.) The reprints of true REH Conan have been only widely availible recently. My guess is that if Dave had been reading the real REH Conan stories, his rules might have looked a bit different.
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Bard
Level 3 Conjurer
The dice never lie.
Posts: 87
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Post by Bard on Jun 3, 2008 14:04:16 GMT -6
Thanks Finarvyn! It's an interesting observation on publication history... We younger ones take so much for granted...
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darneson
Level 3 Conjurer
Co-Creator of OD&D
Posts: 56
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Post by darneson on Jun 10, 2008 20:42:53 GMT -6
They were the DeCamp/Carter variants. What can I say.
Dave Arneson
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Deleted
Deleted Member
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Post by Deleted on Jun 14, 2008 16:10:58 GMT -6
Hello Dave,
First of all, thanks so much for your willingness to answer questions on these forums - it's really very valuable for the fan community. I just hope it doesn't get too overwhelming.
I do have a question about D&D's influences. You've mentioned in a couple interviews over the years that the notions of hit points and armor class were influenced by American Civil War naval wargame rules for ironclads. My question is, was there a particular ruleset that you meant here, either a published or unpublished one? If so what was it?
I know that hit points are a feature of a lot of naval wargames from Fletcher Pratt onwards, but I'm not sure I've ever seen something that works like armor class before.
Thanks again!
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Post by dwayanu on Jun 14, 2008 16:19:23 GMT -6
OT, but one of Dave's magazine-published games ("The Far Seas," IIRC) was one I enjoyed greatly -- and no doubt still would, had I not lost it in a storage mishap.
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Post by Brickman on Jun 17, 2008 19:06:24 GMT -6
Welcome Dave!
Can you tell us what your gaming sessions are most often like? Do you have an ever changing group of players or the same ones all the time? How often do you DM vs. play?
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Post by ewilen on Jun 23, 2008 0:57:15 GMT -6
Hi, Dave!
Greg Svenson mentioned in his account of the first dungeon adventure that you and some of the other players (but not Greg) had been running adventures of some sort in and around the town of Blackmoor. Do you have any recollection of those pre-dungeon scenarios, what sorts of activities were featured, and the rules you used? Thanks!
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Post by Finarvyn on Jun 23, 2008 6:01:32 GMT -6
Remember that most of the pre-dungeon scenarios would have been miniatures wargame battles. Early Blackmoor involved a bunch of miniatures gamers getting together and fighting over their fantasy world; some were the "good guys" (Law) and others were the "bad guys" (Chaos).
Some of those sorts of details are found in First Fantasy Campaign by Dave. They indicate troop strengths and costs, the cost to build roads and bridges, that kind of thing.
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Post by ewilen on Jun 23, 2008 14:43:57 GMT -6
Thanks, Finarvyn. That's what I would have thought--that they were minis battles using Chainmail, but Greg uses the word "adventure" which at least raises the question of whether they were man-to-man skirmishes (as opposed to larger-scale) and what kind of stakes or victory conditions they had. Also Svenny describes the beginning of the first dungeon adventure in these words:
"To begin the adventure an evil wizard, played by Jim Abler, and his pet balrog, played by John Soukup, did something to Baron Fant (Dave Fant), the Lord of Blackmoor at the time."
It makes me wonder how many of those personae were already part of the Blackmoor "continuity" and what sorts of "adventures" or scenarios they'd been involved in previously.
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scogle
Level 3 Conjurer
Posts: 69
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Post by scogle on Jul 25, 2008 16:09:16 GMT -6
My prayers are with you Arneson. Thank you so much for creating this endlessly entertaining game we call D&D.
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Deleted
Deleted Member
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Post by Deleted on Jul 29, 2008 10:01:06 GMT -6
Dave, my thoughts and prayers are with you for a return to health.
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darneson
Level 3 Conjurer
Co-Creator of OD&D
Posts: 56
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Post by darneson on Aug 4, 2008 0:01:20 GMT -6
Some Fred T Jane (Armor class 1912) some Fletcher Pratt (1938 hit points, armor class) plus more than a few others. Far Seas was basically the work of the designer BTW.
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Post by havard on Aug 30, 2008 10:08:37 GMT -6
Dave, what can you tell us about the people of the Vales? Were they part of the original Blackmoor campaign?
Havard
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darneson
Level 3 Conjurer
Co-Creator of OD&D
Posts: 56
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Post by darneson on Oct 1, 2008 21:20:28 GMT -6
I am game to answer about any question that you have about D&D.
Dave Arneson "Dark Lord of Gaming"
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Post by codeman123 on Oct 2, 2008 17:26:34 GMT -6
Mr. Arneson what are your basic house rules for your current campaign. Are they similar to the first fantasy book or a completely different evolution?
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Post by Random on Oct 2, 2008 22:48:05 GMT -6
I can't think of any specific D&D questions, so would it be too much to ask you to share a quick gaming story?
What was the most fun and exciting adventure (or battle) to occur at your table, and what made it so great?
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darneson
Level 3 Conjurer
Co-Creator of OD&D
Posts: 56
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Post by darneson on Oct 12, 2008 19:16:33 GMT -6
The most fun was when the players were stuck about what to do next. Some of the discussions were priceless! Rarely did it have anything to do with what I had in mind. It did give e great ideas for what to with them next, however
The major changes were lack of 'well defined' character classes, if you made your saving throw you suffered NO damage, And magic was handled more like is was in Adventures In Fantasy. There were many other details but these were the biggies.
Arneson "Dark Lord Of Gaming"
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darneson
Level 3 Conjurer
Co-Creator of OD&D
Posts: 56
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Post by darneson on Oct 12, 2008 19:18:34 GMT -6
If I had a copy I would xerox one and send it to you! 20 boxes to go so who knows.
Dave Arneson "Dark Lord Of Gaming"
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Post by Finarvyn on Oct 12, 2008 21:39:09 GMT -6
If I had a copy I would xerox one and send it to you! Now that would be quite a find, wouldn't it! Finding something approximating the original rules would be a lot like finding the Holy Grail....
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Post by codeman123 on Oct 12, 2008 22:28:01 GMT -6
You mean you still have them around!! ;D That would be amazing to obtain a copy of that!!
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