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Jimm's Cube of Quasar post made me curious about Mr. Gygax's notes in the photograph he mentions there (crop, above). I don't have the right image plugins on my computer at the moment, but I started messing around, rotated the image and have been trying to sharpen the text to little avail. I can make out a few words here and there (corridor, trap, dagger +1, drink, etc.) but haven't had much success yet. Maybe once I get the right stuff compiled I'll have more success. Then again, I'll probably lose interest by then...
6 comments:
I like the detective work!
You know, it's actually been pretty fun trying to wrangle words out of that image. I could really use a Read spell of some kind though. It's inspired me to try using a reverse of the process sometime as a prop/handout, with a spell on it that the players will be able to use once they decipher most of it, or maybe it's just a clue of some kind.
I have two other pictures similar to this, where the Great Black Binder of Gygax is open. I had started going over to redraw tha maps, but then let myself get distracted. You have inspired me to pull out the magnifying glass again. Thank you.
Ciao!
GW
What I find interesting is how brief the individual entries seem to be.
@Grendelwulf: Keep us posted - I was thinking of wrestling out that map there also.
@limpey: Yes, me too - like is he just on autopilot after all these years, just mentally having it all worked out with a few reminders? Or does he run mostly off of some charts? I'd love to see similar notes of his from earlier years for comparison.
Its probably a combination. He ran the castle, or played in it via Kuntz's DMing, and knew enough core elements to keep a game going. He probably left enough blank areas just to keep the element of surprise for his players.
My one wish, barring any "official" release of a Castle Greyhawk, would have been to see Gygax-Games release a facsimile binder, all smudges, coffee stains, & bent sheet protectors, just as Gygax used. Maybe with a few added notes of his own and Rob Kuntz's of different historical annecdotes of the original campaign. It wouldn't be everything, but that's part of its nostalgia & appeal ...it was always an unfinished work!
Ciao!
GW
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