Thursday, June 15, 2023

How Much of Gygax is Gygax

 So, alongside a box of Mayfair ROLE-AIDS and another of old JUDGES GUILD modules, I recently came across a boxful of non-TSR D&D generics. 

It's been interesting sorting through these old adventures, some of which I've had for years without reading or playing. Occasionally they raise questions that are a little hard to answer so long after the fact.

One example is of interest because it involves some of the final products to go out with Gygax's name on them. I'm thinking here of A CHALLENGE OF ARM'S [sic] and THE RITUAL OF THE GOLDEN EYES, the first two adventures in the projected five-module 'WOLFMOON ADVENTURE series'. These were published by Inner City Games Designs (dated 1998 and 1999, respectively). More importantly, both have on the cover the statement "Developed with the assistance of Gary Gygax!"

The inside credits expand upon this slightly, reading first "Author  Christopher Clark" (the owner/operator of Inner City Games) and then below this "Creative Consultant & Design Editor   Gary Gygax".*

The problem is that consultant covers a lot of territory, and Gygax had a habit of overcrediting works he contributed to.**  So my question is this: how much of these books did EGG write?

My guess is, very little if any. But I'd like to be proven wrong.

--John R.

*the second module, on its title page, has the following tribute to Gygax:

"This book is dedicated to Gary Gygax, the man who started it all. Thanks for ALL the good times, the memories, and the hobby that just never quits. Vive role-playing!"

**Especially in his latter days, when his name on a product was its chief selling point.


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