I Interviewed Rob Kuntz!

RPGPundit · March 21, 2018, 06:35:46 PM

Here's the first part of my interview with Rob Kuntz, one of D&D's Founding Fathers, who tells us about his history in the hobby, and what he thinks of the current state of it.

Gronan of Simmerya · March 21, 2018, 06:48:41 PM

Quote from: RPGPundit;1030638Here's the first part of my interview with Rob Kuntz, one of D&D's Founding Fathers, who tells us about his history in the hobby, and what he thinks of the current state of it.

Far out! I'll read this later and let you know what I think.

I've known Rob since 7th grade arithmetic class, about 1967.

Gronan of Simmerya · March 21, 2018, 10:37:24 PM

And in the Tomb of Horrors, when the hemi-semi-demilich started to materialize, Robilar grabbed the loot and teleported out.

There is a lesson here.

Spinachcat · March 21, 2018, 11:21:16 PM

So if you two were 12-13 in 1967, that puts you both at 17-18 when you guys joined Gygax in 1972?

Gronan of Simmerya · March 21, 2018, 11:31:48 PM

I turned 17 in April of 72. I'd been playing wargames with the LGTSA for about a year.

RPGPundit · March 22, 2018, 03:20:32 AM

Quote from: Spinachcat;1030675So if you two were 12-13 in 1967, that puts you both at 17-18 when you guys joined Gygax in 1972?

Yup, that fits Rob.

Anyways, stay tuned for parts II and III. It gets juicier!

James Gillen · March 22, 2018, 07:01:06 PM

Quote from: Gronan of Simmerya;1030663And in the Tomb of Horrors, when the hemi-semi-demilich started to materialize, Robilar grabbed the loot and teleported out.

There is a lesson here.

The lesson is: Know when to run. Especially when Gygax is your DM.

JG

estar · March 22, 2018, 08:55:35 PM

Quote from: James Gillen;1030823The lesson is: Know when to run. Especially when Gygax is your DM.

JG

My hometown players knocked the demi-lich into a bag of holding and then had it couriered it to the party that I was refereeing in college. Fortunately the paladin in the college party had the presence of mind to Detect Evil on the Bag. They were mystified by incident until a year later when the friend that was responsible arrived at my college himself.

Anyway anybody running from the demi-lich is missing out on the true treasure of the tomb. Although to be honest until then nobody in my neck of the woods was paying attention to what the doors were made of.

thedungeondelver · March 22, 2018, 10:21:03 PM

I believe Gary mentioned to me that Ernie cast Transmute Rock to Mud on the slab that Acererack's skull was resting on, then when it sank into it, he hit the slab with Dispel Magic, which of course sealed A's skull inside a boulder, whereupon he looted the tomb at his leisure.

JeremyR · March 23, 2018, 02:47:02 AM

And then many people didn't even bother going into the vault. They figured out how to steal the mithril doors and left. Slightly more than 2200 cubic feet of mithril is worth millions of gp

RPGPundit · March 26, 2018, 08:58:11 PM

I forgot to update the thread when it came out, but Part II is here.

Spinachcat · March 26, 2018, 09:09:41 PM

1. I read the Rob Kuntz article in the voice of the Architect from Matrix.

2. I am very glad he's going to discuss Don Kaye in his book.

3. Kuntz can't be an easy last name to have.

Gronan of Simmerya · March 26, 2018, 09:36:20 PM

It's pronounced "Koontz," so I never heard anybody give him much shit.

Also, if Don Kaye had lived, I think the history of TSR would be very, very, very different.

thedungeondelver · March 26, 2018, 09:38:35 PM

Quote from: JeremyR;1030870And then many people didn't even bother going into the vault. They figured out how to steal the mithril doors and left. Slightly more than 2200 cubic feet of mithril is worth millions of gp

If you ignore the "ghost" initially and don't touch anything but the mithril, all it can do is hiss angrily at you while you plunder to your heart's content. Acererak won't show up until the thing acquires 50 life points (it gets hit points back from being attacked, until it has 50, then it can start attacking, and Acererak can make his appearance - but only if the skull is touched).

RPGPundit · March 28, 2018, 02:26:56 AM

Quote from: Gronan of Simmerya;1031315It's pronounced "Koontz," so I never heard anybody give him much shit.

Also, if Don Kaye had lived, I think the history of TSR would be very, very, very different.

Do you mean only in the sense that Gygax's various problems of ownership would not have happened?

Or do you mean something more than that?