Looking back, and to the future

From The Sorcerer's Scroll

D&D®, AD&D® AND GAMING
by ©Gary Gygax

Adventures of the cerebral type have been with us for as long as
mankind has told tales around campfires. Role playing is at least as old
as this too, if one considers early religious or quasi-religious rites. Both
advanced in form during the Golden Age of Greece, assuming forms
which are close to those of today. How modem-era adventure games
came into being is connected to all of this, for they owe their existence to
D&D, a fact which cannot be disputed.

Fantasy wargaming began
before adventure gaming. In fact it began before CHAINMAIL. Tony
Bath of England was conducting table top battles roughly based on the
“Hyborean Age” of Robert E. Howard’s Conan years before the “Fantasy Supplement” of CHAINMAIL was published.
Similarly, role playing has been common in wargaming for years—decades, I suspect,
when one considers the length of time that hobby has been pursued in
England. I can personally recall being part of the nationwide game
which was conceived by “The AdHoc Committee for the Re-Reinstitution of WWII”.
The group was based in Stanford University, and this
writer was given the role of the Chinese Communist commander, while
my friend, Don Kaye, was the Chinese Nationalist leader, and our
associate, Terry Stafford of Chicago, was the British Far East Squadron
Commander. Interesting and differing roles, but all involving thousands,
or millions, of men to be commanded.

Our own local group, the Lake Geneva Tactical Studies Association,
became involved in one-to-one gaming about 1970. Mike Reese and
Leon Tucker, both strong proponents of WWII miniatures gaming, and
Jeff Perren and I with our medieval miniatures, provided the group with
many hours of enjoyment around the large sand table which reposed in
the basement of my home. At various times our number commanded a
squad or more infantry, bands of marauding Vikings, a key bunker, a
troop of Mongolian light horse, a platoon of AFVs, and so on. Some of
these roles lasted for a single game or two, some included large scale
map movement and the many engagements which constitute a campaign.
Late in 1972 these roles were extended to include superheroes
and wizards, as the special fantasy section of what was to become
CHAINMAIL was play-tested. Magic-users defended their strongholds
from invading armies, heroes met trolls, and magic items of great power
were sought for on the same sand table which had formerly hosted
Normans, Britain English and tanks in Normandy. These games were
certainly adventures, and role playing was involved, yet what was
played could by no means be called either D&D or adventure gaming.

When Dave Ameson, already a member of the International Federation of Wargaming, joined the Castle & Crusade Society, he began
playing in our loosely organized campaign game. Now most of the
action therein was conducted by the LGTSA, using my sand table, other
members of the society coming for visits to my place to join in from time
to time. Dave had a large group in the Twin Cities, and they desired to
do their own thing. Dave, an expert at running campaign games, began
to develop his own "Fief" as a setting for medieval fantasy campaign
gaming, reporting these games to the head of the C&C Society.

Using
CHAINMAIL’s “Fantasy Supplement” and the “Man-To-Man” rules of
the same work, Dave made some interesting innovations: First, he gave
his fellows more or less individual roles to play—after all, “Blackmoor”

was just a small section bordering on the “Great Kingdom”, and there
weren’t all that many heroes and wizards and men-at-arms to parcel
out. Then, Dave decided that he would allow progression of expertise
for his players, success in games meaning that the hero would gain the
ability of five, rather than but four men, eventually gaining the exaulted
status of superhero; similarly, wizards would gain more spells if they
proved successful in their endeavors. Lastly, following CHAINMAIL’s
advice to use paper and pencil for underground activity such as mining
during campaign game sieges, and taking a page out of the works of
Howard and Burroughs etal, he brought the focus of fantasy miniatures
play to the dungeon setting.

CHAINMAIL had proved to be highly successful primarily due to its
pioneering concepts in fantasy and individual gaming concepts—the tail
end of the work which wagged the rest. Dave Arneson expanded upon
these areas, and when he and I got together, the ideas necessary to
create D&D were engendered. After a brief visit, Dave returned home,
and within a few days I had a copy of his campaign notes. A few weeks of
play-testing swelled the ranks of the LGTSA to a score or more of avid
players, and the form of D&D began to take shape.

If you ever meet
someone who claims to have played the game since 1973, you can
believe him or her, for by the spring of that year I had completed the
manuscript for the “Original” version of D&D, and copies were handed
out but in order to stop the late night and early morning phone calls
asking weird questions about clerics or monsters or whatever.

By the Time DUNGEONS & DRAGONS was published (January,
1974) there were already hundreds of players, and the major parts of
what was to become GREYHAWK were written and in use too.
Adventures, role playing, games, and fantasy all reach back into the dawn of
history. Adventure gaming dates only to 1973-74 and D&D. In 1974
only slightly more than 1,000 copies of the game had been sold. Today
far more than that are sold each month. D&D has many competitors,
and every manufacturer of miniature figures offers a wide range of
fantasy figures. Ads in gaming and hobby trade publications stress
fantasy games and figures more often than any other subject Adventure
gaming has come a long way, and D&D began it all.

D&D is the leading adventure game, it is the most influential, and the
most imitated. Since its inception it has been added to through special
supplemental works (GREYHAWK, BLACKMOOR, ELDRITCH WIZARDRY, and GODS, DEMI-GODS & HEROES), augmented by miniatures rules (SWORDS & SPELLS), and complimented by a host of specially approved and licensed products from firms such as Judges
Guild and Miniature Figurines. D&D has been edited (by the eminent J.
Eric Holmes) to provide an introductory package, and the contents of
that offering have recently been expanded to include a beginning
module. Despite all of this activity, the game has remained pretty much
as it was when it was first introduced in 1974, although there is now far
more to it.

ADVANCED DUNGEONS & DRAGONS is a different game. Readers please take note! It is neither an expansion nor a revision of the old
game, it is a new game. A number of letters have come to me, the writers
expressing their surprise at or voicing their disapproval of this fact. John
Mansfield, in SIGNAL, cautions his readers to be aware that an ongoing
D&D campaign cannot be switched to AD&D without major work or
actual scrapping of the old game and beginning a fresh effort. To
prevent any further misunderstandings, it is necessary that all adventure
gaming fans be absolutely aware that there is no similarity (perhaps
even less) between D&D and AD&D than there is between D&D and its
various imitators produced by competing publishers.

Just as D&D was the instrument which made adventure gaming
what it is today, it is envisioned that AD&D will shape the future of
fantasy adventure gaming. Where D&D is a very loose, open framework
around which highly imaginative Dungeon Masters can construct what
amounts to a set of rules and game of their own choosing, AD&D is a
much tighter and more structured game system.

The target audience to
which we thought D&D would appeal was principally the same as that of
historical wargames in general and military miniatures in particular.
D&D was hurriedly compiled, assuming that readers would be familiar
with medieval and ancient history, wargaming, military miniatures, etc.
It was aimed at males. Within a few months it became apparent to us that
our basic assumptions might be a bit off target In another year it became

abundantly clear to us that we were so far off as to be laughable. At least
we had the right subject material and the right general approach, so two
out of three and all that. . .

Without destroying the imagination and individual creativity which go into a campaign, AD&D rectifies the shortcomings of
D&D. There are few grey areas in AD&D, and there will be no question
in the mind of participants as to what the game is and is all about. There
is form and structure to AD&D, and any variation of these integral
portions of the game will obviously make it something else. The work
addresses itself to a broad audience of hundreds of thousands of
people—wargamers, game hobbyists, science fiction and fantasy fans,
those who have never read fantasy fiction or played strategy games,
young and old, male and female.

While
DMs are free to allow many unique features to become a part of their
campaign—special magic items, new monsters, different spells, unusual settings—and while they can have free rein in devising the features
and facts pertaining to the various planes which surround the Prime
Material, it is understood they must adhere to the form of AD&D.
Otherwise what they referee is a variant adventure game. DMs still
create an entire milieu, populate it and give it history and meaning.
Players still develop personae and adventure in realms of the strange
and fantastic, performing deeds of derring-do, but this all follows a
master plan.

The advantages of such a game are obvious. Because the integral
features are known and immutable, there can be no debate as to what is
correct A meaningful dialog can be carried on between DMs, regardless
of what region they play in. Players can move from one AD&D campaign to another and know at the very least the basic precepts of the
game—that magic-users will not wield swords, that fighters don’t have
instant death to give or take with critical hits or double damage, that
strange classes of characters do not rule the campaign, that the various
deities will not be constantly popping in and out of the game at the beck
and call of player characters, etc. AD&D will suffer no such abuses, and
DMs who allow them must realize this up front. The best feature of a
game which offers real form, however, is that it will more readily lend
itself to actual improvement—not change, but true improvement Once
eveybody is actually playing a game which is basically the same from
campaign to campaign, any flaws or shortcomings of the basic systems
and/or rules will become apparent With D&D, arguments regarding
some rule are lost due to the differences in play and the wide variety of
solutions proposed—most of which reflect the propensities of local
groups reacting to some variant system which their DM uses in his or her
campaign in the first place. With AD&D, such abberations will be
excluded, and a broad base can be used to determine what is actually
needed and desired.

Obtaining the opinions of the majority of AD&D players will be a
difficult task This is a certainty. If there are now more than a quarter
million D&D/AD&D players (and this is likely a conservative estimate)
less than 10% are actively in touch with the “hard core” of hobby
gaming. Most of these players are only vaguely aware that Gary Gygax

had anything to do with D&D. Only a relative handful read THE
DRAGON, and fewer still have any idea that there are other magazines
which deal with the game. Frankly speaking, they don’t care, either.
They play D&D or AD&D as leisure recreation. These are games to fill
spare time, more or less avidly pursued according to the individual
temperament of the individuals involved. To this majority, games are a
diversion, not a way of life. A pastime, not something to be taken
seriously.

D&D initiated a tradition of fun and enjoyment in hobby gaming. It
was never meant to be taken seriously. AD&D is done in the same mold.
It is not serious. It simulates absolutely nothing. It does not pretend to
offer any realism. Games are for fun, and AD&D is a game. It certainly
provides a vehicle which can be captivating, and a pastime in which one
can easily become immersed, but is nonetheless only a game.

The bulk
of participants echo this attitude. TSR will be hard put to obtain meaningful random survey data from these individuals simply because they
are involved in playing the game, not in writing about it or reading about
it outside the playing materials proper. There are, of course, a number of
ways to surmount the problem, and you can count that steps will be
taken to do so-the first is actually in progress now, involving an
increase in readership of this magazine, for DRAGON has always been
the major vehicle for D&D and AD&D, and it will remain so in the
foreseeable future.

Conformity to a more rigid set of rules also provides a better
platform from which to launch major tournaments as well. Brian Blume
recently established a regular invitational meet for AD&D “master
players” (in which this writer placed a rather abysmal 10th out of 18
entries, but what the hell, it was good while it lasted-). The “Invitational” will certainly grow, and TSR is now considering how best to establish
an annual or semi-annual “Open” tournament for AD&D players to
compete for enjoyment, considerable prize awards, recognition, and a
chance to play in the “Masters” event. There is no reason not to expect
these events, and any others of similar nature sponsored by TSR, to
grow and become truly exceptional opportunities in the years to come.
Good things are certainly in store for AD&D players everywhere! Not
only will AD&D retain its pre-eminent position in adventure gaming, but
it will advance it considerably in the future. More variety, more approaches to play, more forms of the game, and more fun are in store.

D&D will always be with us, and that is a good thing. The D&D
system allows the highly talented, individualistic, and imaginative hobbyist a vehicle for devising an adventure game form which is tailored to
him or her and his or her group. One can take great liberties with the
game and not be questioned. Likewise, the complicated and “realistic”
imitators of the D&D system will always find a following amongst hobby
gamers, for there will be those who seek to make adventure gaming a
serious undertaking, a way of life, to which all of their thought and
energy is directed with fanatical devotion.

ADVANCED DUNGEONS &
DRAGONS, with its clearer and easier approach, is bound to gain more
support, for most people play games, not live them—and if they can live
them while enjoying play, so much the better. This is, of course, what
AD&D aims to provide. So far it seems we have done it.

* * * * * *
Judges Guild has been invited to use this column to comment on
their own unique contributions to D&D and soon to AD&D also). I hope
that next issue you wil be able to see what Bob Bledsaw, Chuck Anshell,
and company have to say. Meantime, all of you who have in the past
made contributions to the game, or would like to have input in the
future, are reminded that you have a standing invitation to submit
material for publication in this column. Articles must be in manuscript
form, of course. Be certain to send them to me directly, c/o THE
DRAGON.
* * * * * *

For those of you who wondered why I took certain amateur publishing efforts to task, it was because they were highly insulting to TSR,
D&D, this magazine, and myself. That sort of invitation is not likely to go
unanswered by me. It does not seem reasonable that returning the same
sorts of compliments they bestowed upon TSR etal, should give rise to

any comment at all—save perhaps from those on the receiving end.
There are also a couple of other points which should be mentioned.
Those who read what was said noted that I mentioned two offerings by
name. This in itself, and despite the generally bad things said, was
actually a favor, the old axiom about the superiority of being attacked
rather than being ignored coming into play. It is true. Coupled with the
comparison to early amateur press efforts in wargaming, it offers these
publications, and all the other amateur efforts, a chance to show the
whole hobby just how wrong and stupid I am by publishing material of
superior quality which does not resort to invective, character assassination, libel, slander, or various and sundry cheap shots, relying rather on
honest efforts at quality contents to interest readers. DUNGEONEER
took this approach in the first place, and it has done well. Perhaps other
publishers will take a page from their journal and turn things around in
the amateur adventure gaming press. If so, I’ll be among the first to give
congratulations, in print! Meanwhile, I have had the misfortune to view a
so-called professional fantasy gaming oriented magazine’s first issue;
this contained mostly numerous boring commentaries by some folks
who are trying hard to make a name for themselves in gaming, principally by insulting the leaders in the hobby. This is regrettable but
understandable when one is dealing with amateurs; it is deplorable in a
professional magazine. Even though it is the house organ of an aspiring
publisher, such journalism cannot succeed for long. That sort of work
will have to change quickly or the magazine won’t see many issues.
So much for this issue’s SORCERER’S SCROLL. Here’s to the fun
of gaming, win or lose!

"From The Sorcerer's Scroll: D&D, AD&D, and Gaming," by Gary Gygax (The Dragon #26, June 1979):

Because D&D allowed such freedom, because the work itself said so, because the initial batch of DMs were so imaginative and creative, because the rules wre incomplete, vague and often ambiguous, D&D has turned into a non-game. That is, there is so much variation between the way the game is played from region to region, state to state, area to area, and even from group to group within a metropolitan district, there is no continuity and little agreement as to just what the game is and how best to play it. Without destroying the imagination and individual creativity which go into a campaign, AD&D rectifies the shortcomings of D&D. There are few grey areas in AD&D, and there will be no question in the mind of participants as to what the game is and is all about. There is form and structure to AD&D, and any variation of these integral portions of the game will obviously make it something else. The work addresses itself to a broad audience of hundreds of thousands of people—wargamers, game hobbyists, science fiction and fantasy fans, those who have never read fantasy fiction or played strategy games, young and old, male and female.

AD&D will eventually consist of DUNGEON MASTERS GUIDE, PLAYERS HANDBOOK, GODS, DEMI-GODS & HEROES, and MONSTER MANUAL and undoubtedly one or two additional volumes of creatures with which to fill fantasy worlds. These books, together with a broad range of modules and various playing aids, will provide enthusiasts with everything they need to create and maintain an enjoyable, exciting, fresh, and ever-challenging campaign. Readers are encouraged to differentiate their campaigns, calling them AD&D if they are so. While D&D campaigns can be those which feature comic book spells, 43rd level balrogs as player characters, and include a plethora of trash from various and sundry sources, AD&D cannot be so composed. Either a DM runs an AD&D campaign, or else it is something else. This is clearly stated within the work, and it is a mandate which will be unchanging, even if AD&D undergoes change at some future date. While DMs are free to allow many unique features to become a part of their campaign—special magic items, new monsters, different spells, unusual settings—and while they can have free rein in devising the features and facts pertaining to the various planes which surround the Prime Material, it is understood they must adhere to the form of AD&D. Otherwise what they referee is a variant adventure game. DMs still create an entire milieu, populate it and give it history and meaning. Players still develop personae and adventure in realms of the strange and fantastic, performing deeds of derring-do, but this all follows a master plan.

Quote:
Originally Posted by Gentlegamer
...

This truly shows the insight Gary had into the nature of the game!

Appreciate the post, and I am sad to say that I did seem to have a good deal of prescience back then.

Cheers,
Gary

<PRESPOS--> check the title, when you have the Time>