Here's the first part of my interview (http://therpgpundit.blogspot.com/2018/03/rpgpundit-interviews-rob-kuntz-part-1.html) 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.
Quote from: RPGPundit;1030638Here's the first part of my interview (http://therpgpundit.blogspot.com/2018/03/rpgpundit-interviews-rob-kuntz-part-1.html) 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.
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.
So if you two were 12-13 in 1967, that puts you both at 17-18 when you guys joined Gygax in 1972?
I turned 17 in April of 72. I'd been playing wargames with the LGTSA for about a year.
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!
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
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. (http://batintheattic.blogspot.com/2009/07/rob-read-that-again.html) Although to be honest until then nobody in my neck of the woods was paying attention to what the doors were made of.
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.
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
I forgot to update the thread when it came out, but Part II is here (http://therpgpundit.blogspot.com/2018/03/an-interview-with-rob-kuntz-part-2-of-3.html).
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.
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.
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).
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?
Quote from: Gronan of Simmerya;1031315Also, if Don Kaye had lived, I think the history of TSR would be very, very, very different.
Explain!
Well, we know Kaye was Gygax's friend, and without his death more than 50% of the company wouldn't have been concentrated in the Blumes (who bought up Kaye's share).
Quote from: RPGPundit;1031561Do 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?
Well, partly, Don had a more stable financial situation than Gary. Also, Don loved games and gaming, but had no great urge that I saw to be a game writer. But he DID have a good strong common sense. So I think he could have been a firm hand on the helm in the early years while Gary was allowed to concentrate on creativity.
He was also the only person I ever saw tell Gary he was full of shit and have it stick. Gary had good ideas, but he could also be headstrong. Don was headstronger.
Rob is apparently retiring from RPGs due to insufficient demand.
http://ruinsofmurkhill.proboards.com/thread/1833/answer-pipers-call
That's the only place I even heard of the project. As I said in that thread, it's not a question of demand, it's a question of marketing.
True, until I interviewed him, I wasn't aware of any of his current projects.
Here's the final part (http://therpgpundit.blogspot.com/2018/03/rpgpundit-interviews-rob-kuntz-part-3.html), where Rob talks about Politics in gaming, about who his favorite OSR designers are, and whether he allows gender-fluid elves in his campaign!
Good answer on the gender-fluid question. ;)
jg
Quote from: James Gillen;1032160Good answer on the gender-fluid question. ;)
jg
They were all good answers, but that last question I added in at the last second for fun.