Gary Gygax's SECRET D&D Rules Revealed At Last! (Ep. 371)

[@mborel]

I want to know if Gary ever did the bit he did in Futurama to someone in real life. "Hello, I'm Gary, and I'm...(rolls dice) pleased to meet you."

[@thehermitthetower1126]

Shoot, I may try that if I ever go out again

[@slaapliedje]

Ha, I would have to role 3d6, since I use GURPS. Bonus points if you pull out an NPC reaction table.

[@ansalander]

Gotta check your character sheet first!

[@gpeschke]

It's almost certain. It's kinda the oldest rpg joke 😂 in the book.

[@nice-coper2211]

Read "the diceman"

[@docmike8601]

"art made by Humans..." that was savage.

[@solomani-42]

Your father changed my life Luke, thank you in his stead.

[@DUNGEONCRAFT1]

Thanks for watching and taking the time to comment!

[@jassch8]

For sure guy, his contribution to my life and many others is just so huge. Because what what those guys did we have not just all the table top rpgs but rpg videos games. Most of my favorite hobbies would exist without D&d.. I am glad I got to express my thanks in a quick conversation with Luke years ago on what is dad helped create for us all.

[@davidkobold5311]

I cannot agree more. I started playing in 1981, and still play today. I played through the "nerd" ridicule, and the Satanic panic. D&D has been an integral part of my life since I was first introduced, and I am proud that I have passed my love of the game on to multiple generations of my family, and to my friends and their children. I am eteranlly grateful for Gary's legacy, and still celebrate July 27th as a personal "Gygax Day" holiday. I usually try to have a D&D session, but at a minimum, mark the day with something game-related, even if its just buying another set of dice.

[@TheBasicBrit1989]

I have watched a few interviews with Luke Gygax now and the guy is just pure class from what i have seen of him. He has the same reverence for the game we have but with that familial passion and pride for his dads accomplishments. He comes across as a very likeable bloke and im always pinning my ears back to listen to stories about gaming at the table with his father. My only complaint is it wasnt long enough!

[@leemarohn7496]

I met Luke VERY briefly at Gary Con last year. Just enough time for a handshake, a selfie, and a Thank You for what he continues to do. He is absolutely as gracious and likeable as you think.

[@TheBasicBrit1989]

@@leemarohn7496 yea I couldn't imagine that he isn't just a genuinely nice bloke

[@orkcol]

This was cool. I was under the impression Gary was a fan of the more detailed rules and charts. But to hear he made those rules for others and were not used at his table, i think, tells us a lot. Like the good professor says: roll a d20, roll high, keep the game moving. Fair but firm. Always loved the next thing he was making. And enjoyed playing with his son. Legend.

[@eldritchedward]

I had the pleasure to play with Gary as a GM for Lejendary Adventures at GenCon 2000 (or 2001, maybe). He was like a savant at deducing what kind of game the random people that sat down with him wanted. I watched him DM a detective version of the same adventure right after he DM'd it as a hack&slash gorefest and then, like it was nothing, throw out a game in which we tried to solve the mystery of the vanished villagers diplomatically. It was impressive to see, honestly. And he was really good at explaining rules or saying something along the lines of "it's like this, but for convenience and speed just roll a d20 and give me more than a 6".

[@larkohiya]

I like to imagine that he designed the rules and the book the way he did because he understood that he would not be able to properly articulate the logic of his adjudication in the the format given. He was giving context for others to give their own informed decision and the space to intuit their own vibe.

[@irontemplar6222]

It's a good policy as a game designer to include more tools and rules then you intend to use yourself because that might be important for someone else.

[@Cr4z3d]

Same here...very cool to hear Luke's firsthand account.

[@GontltsufOgrpwr]

These videos are getting better Professor. Great anecdote from Luke about his childhood and Gary creating a heroic moment at the table!

[@DUNGEONCRAFT1]

Thanks for watching!

[@stefanvoss6341]

A Dungeon Craft upload. Always makes my day!

[@DUNGEONCRAFT1]

Thank you!

[@Megatron4Life23]

Tomb of Horrors, 70's parenting!!! 😂😂😂

[@anon_laughing_man]

No joke.

[@swirvinbirds1971]

Have you ever read the early character backgrounds in the old The Rogues Gallery supplement? A lot of them were evil or Chaotic characters. I think it was one of Ernie's characters that made a pact with the devil Baalzebul. 😂

[@TheNekofanatic]

Luke is a gentleman and a scholar for continuing in the same field as his father. Thank you Dungeoncraft, for this interview!

[@tomkompareus]

I still can't believe I've been playing the game for more than 40 years. My first character met his demise in Holmes' Sample Dungeon back in 1977. Yesterday I created my newest character to adventure through Wild Beyond the Witchlight with our daughter as the DM. Our kids did what I couldn't do: they convinced their mom to play with us for the first time. Thanks to Mr. Gygax and friends for creating a fantastic, imaginative game that is fun for the whole family.

[@LB_adventurer]

You did a great job hosting this. I wish more hosts would sit back and allow their guests to talk and go down tangents. It was insightful and entertaining.

[@DUNGEONCRAFT1]

Thank you. That’s what I try to do-ask the questions & just let the guests speak.

[@Cr4z3d]

@@DUNGEONCRAFT1 As a good DM should :)

[@donnaldjohnson659]

So, there I was, middle of a thieves challenge, walking forward to set off the trap I thought was in front of me, but actually set off a trap I didn't know was there. A classic hidden pit. With an even more classic gelatinous cube sitting in the 10 x 10 ft pit. There was no greater joy, than falling into a pit trap with Luke Gygax as the DM. I played two games with Luke at Genghis Con 2024. And it was amazing. To be killed by a Gygax! At a con.

[@DUNGEONCRAFT1]

Nice!

[@PhileasFog-cs2bz]

Gary forever ! He changed my life for the best.

[@normanlennox4949]

How fascinating. I watched the original Gygax House Rules video a few times. It's great to get a follow up from Luke to confirm/deny details. Huzzah! And big yes to "Goodnight, Tomb."

[@DUNGEONCRAFT1]

Thanks for watching until the end!

[@normanlennox4949]

@NCRAFT1 I never miss the end (at least, I think I don't). Deathbringer's closers are golden. I still love the Crash Test Dummies outro.

[@MisterWebb]

Huzzah!!

[@WayneBraack]

Gygax. A man who gave so much to so many he never met. Backed this project out of nostalgia. I may never run a campaign again but I still want this for the fond memories.

[@kythian]

I heard Charlie Stross say this at a panel once, and I think it applies to "Giants to Drow" series of modules; "Something doesn’t become a clichė unless its a good idea in the first place."

[@DUNGEONCRAFT1]

Good quote.

[@KermodeBear]

I love hearing these stories from Luke. He seems like such a good guy. Gary wasn't just a great game designer - it seems he was also a great father. Thank you so much for this interview.

[@DUNGEONCRAFT1]

Thanks for watching and taking the time to comment! Please share it!

[@KermodeBear]

@@DUNGEONCRAFT1 Already have, my friend! You're one of the good guys. (o:

[@anon_laughing_man]

This is top tier nerd awesome. Thank you Luke Gygax for showing up and thank you Prof DM for hosting it.

[@MidnightSkyGames]

This thing Gary Gygax created gave me the best friends of my life and gave me the opportunity to spend time with my daughters in a fantasy world where we made such great memories and had so much fun. I love that you are paying tribute to him in this way and can't wait to play in the tomb of Gyzengax! Side note- the main NPC/ Mentor that my kids first met in their D&D game back in 2016 was Alphinius, their half- elf former teacher... love how that name has popped back up!

[@orionrising8236]

What a fantastic interview. Luke's enthusiasm for the game is positively infectious!

[@Ixnatifual]

Luke seems like a great guy. From what I've seen, his dad was also a class act!

[@Daves_Channel]

New Luke Gygax fan here! What a genuine and authentic fellow. Thanks for introducing him to us Prof!

[@FluffyTheGryphon]

What a great episode. Thank you for doing this, Professor!

[@DUNGEONCRAFT1]

Thanks for watching and taking the time to comment!

[@kiltedcripple]

I dialoged with Gary just a couple times, via email, never met him in person, but i saved those emails, to this day, cuz even just in that brief exchange, he took the time to be personal and helpful and it was amazingly helpful. RIP to the great Mr Gygax.

[@trynda1701]

Nicely done, Professor. Getting Mr Gygaxs' son Luke as a guest was brilliant, along with Alphinius, and you gave them the spotlight to show us their enthusiasm for the game that unites us all. 👍👍👍👍😎😎😎😎 I think along with your usual videos of DM advice and the crafting ones, you should have more guests on occasion. 😊😊😊😊

[@DUNGEONCRAFT1]

Thank you kindly!

[@rayrous8229]

A failed saving throw leads to destroyed items. Classic!

[@DUNGEONCRAFT1]

Thanks for watching and taking the time to comment!

[@alexlegrand8386]

Being a parent of a toddler, the D&D themed version of Goodnight Moon was on point 😂

[@DUNGEONCRAFT1]

Have DB read it to them. He's soothing.

[@JonathanHStone]

You're a great interviewer Dan, you ask smart, open-ended questions and just let your guest speak. Luke's recollections are such a joy to hear, allowing him to be as discursive as he likes is a gift for us all.

[@ThaPaczki]

Another great video. Could listen to him tell stories for hours. Thanks for the interview

[@blainetaggart6736]

So cool what a treat! Thank you. The creations of Gary Gygax have meant so much to us all. Cool insights and old war stories. Also you're an NPC Professor!

[@JasonJones-zn2os]

Glad to hear some love for Lost Caverns of Tsojcanth.

[@andrewsmith2880]

My favorite character died in that Dungeon... R.I.P Thorin the Wizard

[@CANDROU1]

Great video! My only complaint is that i wish it was longer as there are so many topics I would like to hear Luke's opinions on, as well as more stories about his dad, thanks for the vid!

[@garrettdaly9893]

Cool video i was stoked to hear the dialogue. So my take away for house rules was no crits and group initiative and declare what you would do before initiative roll. Other than the gritty weapons and armor stuff but that was for the wargamers who wanted it. Interesting to hear it from luke i understand better why items and equipment would be destroyed its a setback not him being a jerk. Dungeon Land is a favorite unplayed module that i want to run but its rough

[@frocat5163]

That was a real Maury Povich reveal there... "These were Gary Gygax's personal house rules." "The test [son] revealed that was a lie."

[@BetaBRSRKR]

3:19 That is an observation I had not considered before on critical hit/miss but still a valid take.

[@DUNGEONCRAFT1]

I still like critical hits. But it was interesting to hear.

[@paavohirn3728]

Just interviewed my players today on variations of crits in old school D&D. I really like the Professor's +1d12 but I've used it for PCs only. Currently I've been using max damage for PCs and monsters alike. It's reasonably satisfying when monsters don't have a ton of hp either and hordes of monsters tend to have small damage dice so it's not necessarily too punishing either.

[@TheActionAce]

Great video PDM. I could watch you guys talk about Gary and Old School DnD all day. I didn’t know Melf and Otis were Luke’s characters

[@tubebobwil]

Luke seems like the sweetest human .

[@DMTalesTTRPG]

Great chat! One day I'll drum up the nerve to invite Luke on.

[@paavohirn3728]

Very much looking forward to it! 😁

[@JayAHafner]

Wow! Thanks for the great interview. I always see Luke at our cons here in Denver. The man's presence makes me so proud of our great hobby. Thanks for the memories.

[@DUNGEONCRAFT1]

Thanks for watching and taking the time to comment!

[@joshuakinnear4202]

I've just backed the kickstarter. Super excited! Thanks gents.

[@DUNGEONCRAFT1]

Cool!

[@mjphyil]

so many memories, been playing since the white box, so glad that Luke can carry on the legacy, Gary really did spawn an entire industry.

[@GreylanderTV]

omg the "Goodnight Tomb..." story at the end!! Heath's geekverse must hear this, lol

[@DUNGEONCRAFT1]

I might make it a short. We'll see.

[@GreylanderTV]

@@DUNGEONCRAFT1 Maybe do a full version of the "Goodnight" story? That's be worth it. H***, you could probably do a whole series of _"Lights out: Bedtime Stories with Deathbringer"_

[@JackFetch-eb1gr]

Luke , I can't tell what a huge influence D&D has been on my influence on my life and I can't thank your father enough. Also hope to get the chance to play at your table again the next time you are in the UK

[@ImperialValues]

When Luke said, “…spending time with dad…” he rolled a natural 20 on my feels.

[@mau_victorino]

Amazing interview! Thanks to Professor DM and Mr Gygax! Greetings from Brazil!

[@AvenueStudios]

So fun to hear Luke tell stories of gaming with his dad! Its a privilege to be passing on the hobby to my kids now and be a part of the 'hobby family line'

[@DMTalesTTRPG]

OK, I love when Luke was naming names and you were tossing out the NPC cards...that was well done.

[@Slit518]

We NEED a parody book of Goodnight Moon in the vein of Goodnight Tomb! There is already one called Goodnight Goon, and my 2 year old son LOVES it! Also, great interviews, it was awesome. Keep up the great work, everyone!

[@mixofreak]

There is a "Goodnight Sword", made by Heath over at Heath's Geekverse!

[@Slit518]

@@mixofreak 🤔

[@Gerod253]

Thank you for a fantastic video. Deathbringer nailed it with Goodnight Tomb.

[@RollForTuraco]

That was a fun interview, It was interesting hearing that Gary put Luke through the tomb of horrors when he was 10. The Tomb of Gyzengax looks pretty cool, I'm already signed up for the launch.

[@Game.Master.Allen83]

A great interview! Loved seeing how excited they were about this new project and how the hobby and the community really influenced them over the years.

[@combatsurvivalofalabama1835]

So wonderful to hear that the legacy continues and cant wait for the kickstarter !

[@AgranakStudios]

Thank you for this. Such an awesome interview. I am really looking forward to Gyzaengaxx!

[@DeadMarsh]

Great to See Luke on the channel! Everyone should check out Castles and Crusades by the way!

[@DUNGEONCRAFT1]

Thanks for watching and taking the time to comment!

[@sizzaxe]

So awesome to literally feel the legacy being passed on 🙂 Thanks for bringing this to us.

[@himesjb]

The "Secret Rules" video on DungeonCraft is what got me back into RPGs! So this video is a richly satisfying sequel. Very cool to hear from the Son of Gygax and to hear his favorite moments of playing with his dad. Luke seems like the Christopher Tolkien of D&D, a really passionate player. BTW, did he take the name Melf from the action figure? I always pronounced it Tsohj-canth (long o). So I was close!

[@1776huckleberry]

A day with a Dungeon Craft video is automatically a good day, especially lore videos like this!

[@readwatchlisten2863]

Dont be too hard on yourself professor. Your video on map/location campaign was a revalation for me as a GM. I feel it was directly responsable for my players finishing two archs in our campaign.

[@skynightokc2811]

67 yr old and still proudly playing! Ah, for the vitiage days when we started a noon and wrapped at 2am. Now, a four hour game time is pushing it (Fortitude check needed😀)

[@DUNGEONCRAFT1]

I chug Red Bull before every session to maintain enthusiasm.

[@roberthughes707]

Great show

[@DUNGEONCRAFT1]

Thanks! Please share!

[@travman228]

Great vid Prof! I say this interview should spawn a series on your channel where you bring in Luke and just discuss different topics or whatever comes up. Good stuff

[@DUNGEONCRAFT1]

That's a great idea!

[@norwegianblue2764]

This is wonderful, in so many ways. Thank you, thank you, thank you.

[@RobertTowell]

I love these stories. While I never met any of the old school legends. It is awesome to hear the tales of their games.

[@DUNGEONCRAFT1]

Thanks for watching this video. It was great to talk to Luke.

[@GreenSalsa18]

This was a wonderfully fun video, including one of the best Deathbringer sign offs ever!

[@trouqe]

Thank you for bringing this together, PDM

[@dsan05]

This was just fantastic. Thanks for this.

[@gamervideos11]

The rules he described are honestly lots of our own house rules at our table.

[@dungeondumbo]

Thanks for these great videos. This is the type of thing we should be doing for the anniversary. Well done. Cheers ⭐️👍

[@DUNGEONCRAFT1]

Thanks for watching and taking the time to comment!

[@bluecarpettiles]

Really interesting interview. Thanks for recoding this and uploading.

[@sherizaahd]

Yeah, I'd buy Goodnight Tomb, get that made! Great idea Deathbringer!

[@DUNGEONCRAFT1]

I'll look into that.

[@cmcanfield32]

Tsojcanth is my favorite module of all time, too. I never get tired of reading it.

[@kitschenkel4155]

Thanks keep the conversations going.

[@happy911]

This was super interesting! Thank you for sharing!

[@joshjered6462]

Yggsburgh is amazing! Absolutely love the book

[@NemoOhd20]

Fantastic interview w three really cool dudes.

[@duncandomey8199]

Love your guests!!! More!!! and thank you!

[@CalebWillden]

0:35 Looking good in that Vest of Protection!

[@DUNGEONCRAFT1]

Thank you!

[@dganim9196]

Prof, really excellent video and interview, Thankyou. More like this if you can. And a personal note from an old hand drawn artist, "Art made by Humans" is so very much appreciated, Thankyou.

[@MemphiStig]

Luke really captured much of the way I learned to play the game in the 80's. Basically by the book, minus the really complicated options, with some but very few house rules. And really, anywhere we didn't have or know a rule to cover a situation, the DM would make a "judgment call" and we'd resolve it that way. And DM's were much like Gary sounds, tough but fair, not a killer but not a baby-sitter.

[@Sichuanbeef]

It's really cool to hear about the house rules

[@btshire]

I love any content that sheds light on the earliest days of the game. Awesome video!

[@jeromyschulz-arnold2632]

Wonderful video! Personally I'm not dismayed to hear from Luke that those previously mentioned rules aren't from Gary's table. Rather I'm glad to hear Luke affirms that the only rules you need are the ones that make great memories and lasting friendships. Part of why I stopped writing for DnD is that I saw it was delvolving into a cash grab during Covid. Thank you for this validation.

[@maercoen8624]

Another great video. Thanks Professor!

[@bokgil]

Oh my gosh that "Goodnight Tomb" came out of nowhere! 🤣🤣🤣

[@gamermilk6399]

Very Nice, May the Algo be with you!

[@Satori2046]

Lovely interview ! This game changed my life !

[@jaybakata5566]

Deathbringer is a poet... ? So great to hear about the past from Luke! Thanks for sharing this PDM.

[@sebastienparadis9115]

Deathbringer and goodnight Tomb... that was amazing, very funny. This must be so popular, because we don't even speak English at home and my daughter had that book.

[@sinemi3]

Thank you for this great video!

[@BillWiltfong]

"Goodnight, tomb. Goodnight, doom. Goodnight, demon face in the very first room." My, but that's some fine writing. Who knew he could kill a pegasus with one blow AND write a childrens' book?

[@TheConfessor]

Dude, this is fantastic.

[@DUNGEONCRAFT1]

Thanks! Please share it!

[@NearlyInfinite-rk5jy]

It's interesting that the "Declaration" phase was something that was lauded by the VtM / OWoD community back in the 90's as an innovation & logical addition to the abstraction of combat... while the OG Gary himself was already doing that at some of the first tables. Even more interesting was that literal decades went by without TSR (and later WotC) ever thinking to insert it or mention in text "yeah, some of these concepts, especially reactive stuff & penalties, they don't make a lot of sense unless you've already committed to what it is you plan to do that turn."

[@DUNGEONCRAFT1]

Thanks for sharing your insights.

[@NearlyInfinite-rk5jy]

Sorry. I mean I LOVE ALL DUNGEON CRAFT VIDEOS!

[@tomgibbs3223]

Really great video!! That was a lot of fun to watch!

[@mikecarson7769]

old D&D was so brutal for the PCs ... yet still could be so much fun, depending on your group and especially the DM

[@bugslayerprime7674]

Great interview! Wish it were longer. I like the idea of spells taking time to cast. This could help with boss fights also, gives players a chance to react before... Some kind of spell goes off. Wizard! What is he casting?!?!? Looks like... Polymooooo!

[@chazlong61]

Melf! It's Melf! Melf off the shelf, back in the game. Fantastic video.

[@westcoastavengers1]

That's a good point about the DM not using critical hits, because they roll for a lot of little enemies.

[@chrishall5440]

Great video. People should be liking and sharing this video instead of just the ones on WotC (but I watch those too). I would have liked to hear if his dad ran him through B2 or T1.

[@mergettheborgerhrunter3386]

Beautiful upload I was just about to rewatch demon tailor for todays campaign prep but lo and behold some new fruit of useful advice has sprouted on the Dungeon Craft tree

[@Sonic_Decay]

Gyzzangaxx sounds fantastic. Nice to hear Luke talk a bit about the rules his Dad used. We played combat exactly the same and still do. Back in the eighties we only had the box sets and books there was no context and no one to ask. We just figured it out. Like most people I suspect. We have one house rule that can be very dramatic and I'm curious if anyone else uses this. If a character is killed in combat they can sacrifice a piece of armor or a weapon to stay up with 1 hit point. Once per combat. It might not save them. but it sure can be fun to see what happens.