Destroying The Adventurers, But In A Fair And Balanced Way

  So I'm cruising Google for the best definition of Rule Zero I can find, when I come across this on TVTropes.com.
This, however, is completely the opposite of Gary Gygax's intended idea of a DM. In Gygax's mind, the DM is effectively a wrathful god, bent on destroying the adventurers, but in a fair and balanced way. In a Gygaxian-style game, a Player Kill would happen about once every other session, and a Total Party Kill perhaps once every five. The TV character is more akin to modern D&D, in which PK's are rare and woeful events.
Now where in the hell did that come from?

5 comments:

B. Portly Esq. said...

TV Tropes is horrible - I find it to be largely opinions and riddled with inaccuracies. This sounds like some Dick DM myth.
How the hell could Gygax have his players even reach mid levels (or higher, which they did) in his own campaign if he followed that philosophy?
From what I understand, Gygax didn't pull any punches and let the players "kill themselves", but he clearly stated in the rules (Players Handbook even) that sessions should be neither too easy nor to hard, as both are boring for the players.
TPK's every five sessions is just demoralizing.
I blame this adversarial Dick DM myth to be largely responsible for the eventual de-powering of referees (and accompanying rules bloat) in later editions.

FASERIP said...

A player kill? Huh?

Gygax was murdering his players?

B. Portly Esq. said...

Yes Joe Kushner, Gary murdered players and praised satan.

Joe G Kushner said...

Why do people think that FASERIP is my name? Where is this crap coming from?

Joe G Kushner said...

In case I didn't mention it, and this looks like an old post, I don't have a sock puppet account for FASERIP. The guy on YourDungeonISSUck has a far different idea on who FASERIP is so go easy there B. Portly Esg eh?

 
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