tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7487871339000666216.post7853270528851735010..comments2024-03-18T20:22:06.331-04:00Comments on GROGNARDIA: Interview: Jean Wells (Part II)James Maliszewskihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00341941102398271464noreply@blogger.comBlogger19125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7487871339000666216.post-25014959772471260542011-10-13T15:55:39.889-04:002011-10-13T15:55:39.889-04:00I don't understand Ms. Wells's point about...I don't understand Ms. Wells's point about ubues. In the interview, she says, "Erol Otus didn’t read my description close enough when I described the one seen as being a female. If it had been two sexes I would have mentioned that." The description of the ubue in the new monster section of the orange-cover module says, "One of the three heads will always be of a different sex from the other two and it will always be in the middle" (p. 29). This is what Otus drew (p. 19), so what's her complaint?Donjon Masterhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16040361645275936323noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7487871339000666216.post-39732729183293406222010-04-07T18:43:53.236-04:002010-04-07T18:43:53.236-04:00As a TSR employee from this time, I can add that a...As a TSR employee from this time, I can add that a BIG reason the illos in the original B3 caused the Blume brothers to explode was because Erol cheekily inserted images of himself and his fellow ex-TSR buddies in some of them. Check the background pictures on one, there are Erol and Paul Reiche and Evan Robinson and the San Francisco Bay bridge (these chappies all hailed from and returned to No. Calif.) Being flipped off like this just months (weeks?) after the famous TSR staff purges had begun was more than upper management could tolerate. The "bad taste" issues of other illos were another matter that just fed the flames. The Blumes and Neibling *were* extremely paranoid about bad PR for the D&D image at this time.piper909https://www.blogger.com/profile/07349020255841948428noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7487871339000666216.post-59417611677271893232010-02-24T22:21:23.066-05:002010-02-24T22:21:23.066-05:00Catching up belatedly...
> 11. Do you still pl...Catching up belatedly...<br /><br />> 11. Do you still play role playing games?<br />> No, I am not really interested in sitting in a room listening to a bunch of players argue about anything from what the monster is to how they want to attack it, to how many little ten foot squares they've marched. <br /><br />That's sad to read, IMHO.<br />(And as if 3e/4e was the only game in town, too... :? )<br /><br />Thanks for fielding the interview, James.irbyzhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10193584357850337816noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7487871339000666216.post-11491442520007955312010-02-13T15:52:17.690-05:002010-02-13T15:52:17.690-05:00Paladin:
The art for the Giant Rat was added to ...Paladin: <br /><br />The art for the Giant Rat was added to the 4th print Monster Manual.<br />This info is on the Acaeum, but it's hard to find as it's not on the main Monster Manual page detailing the printings. It's buried in the "errata link"<br /><br />http://www.acaeum.com/library/errata_mm.html<br /><br />"some monster pictures were left out of early prints, and gradually inserted in later prints (up to the "final" Fourth print). The list of missing pictures per print is as follows ...<br /><br /> First: Ape (Gorilla), Centaur, Doppleganger, Dryad, Eye of the Deep, Fungi, Gar, Ghost, Hobgoblin, Intellect Devourer, Kobold, Men (Berserker), Merman, Mummy, Otyugh, Pegasus, Pixie, Purple Worm, Rat (Giant, Sumatran), Skeleton, Slug, Sprite<br /><br /> Second: Ape (Gorilla), Eye of the Deep, Fungi, Otyugh, Rat (Giant, Sumatran)<br /><br /> Third: Eye of the Deep, Fungi, Otyugh, Rat (Giant, Sumatran)<br /><br /> Fourth: All pictures present. Note that some monsters still do not have an accompanying illustration, but the Fourth print is as good as it gets."<br /><br />Jean's name is signed to the Eye and the Rat, and the Otyugh is signed "Jean & Dave". The Fungi, Violet is unsigned (or has an unreadable signature), but is possibly hers as well. So, she at least worked on some (or all) of the pictures added between the 3rd and 4th print.Zenopushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04423199583499955572noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7487871339000666216.post-90187204461328090922010-02-09T22:05:46.347-05:002010-02-09T22:05:46.347-05:00I liked the odd monsters from B3, as they are vary...I liked the odd monsters from B3, as they are vary unique! The Ubue is really fun to roleplay, and the Decapuses is a nice trap to play on rash PCs. I usually mock the dungeon for being a bit flowery (the feminine touch really shows thrughout the book), but I did like the attention to backgroud details that gets overlooked with other modules.<br /><br />To me, the recall of B3 was the turning point from the early, care-free years, that really shows in the products - the point where TSR started to slave themselves to misguided political correctness!Malcadonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03111796978336546944noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7487871339000666216.post-60184107208091811472010-02-09T20:04:49.308-05:002010-02-09T20:04:49.308-05:00JB: Me too. I read the interview to my girlfriend,...<b>JB</b>: Me too. I read the interview to my girlfriend, who also games, and she said, "But you don't <i>have</i> to play them like that!"David Larkinshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04133630988557116729noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7487871339000666216.post-25834769294831070362010-02-09T11:43:24.973-05:002010-02-09T11:43:24.973-05:00It's a shame that bureaucracies stifle creativ...It's a shame that bureaucracies stifle creativity, but it sounds like you recovered from it - Thanks for taking the time to be interviewed. :)Ragnorakkhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03812860633134547618noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7487871339000666216.post-9745331433987023542010-02-09T02:03:47.448-05:002010-02-09T02:03:47.448-05:00Thanks for the great interview. I can't help b...Thanks for the great interview. I can't help but say her answer to #11 made me a bit sad.<br />: (JBhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08532311924539491087noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7487871339000666216.post-79141835390130921512010-02-08T16:53:31.755-05:002010-02-08T16:53:31.755-05:00Thanks for that link Fitzerman. It is sad to see p...Thanks for that link Fitzerman. It is sad to see people screwing things up out of greed and pride. <br /><br />That the Blumes are forgotten except where they're reviled, and the paucity of their loot, seem appropriate footnotes for them.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7487871339000666216.post-69994593793697812372010-02-08T15:41:55.573-05:002010-02-08T15:41:55.573-05:00I just downloaded B3 from the WotC site, where the...I just downloaded B3 from the WotC site, where they've made the original available as a PDF. It had been so long since I'd seen the original module, I'd forgotten what it looked like. My reaction?<br /><br />"That's it??"<br /><br />They had a fit over something that qualified as only PG even back then? Wow. If I were Jean, I'd be bitter about being treated like that, too.Anthonyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01254215329246851683noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7487871339000666216.post-58860005010502523472010-02-08T15:31:49.548-05:002010-02-08T15:31:49.548-05:00It really sounds like the incident with "Prin...It really sounds like the incident with "Princess" tainted her career, which is unfortunate. I wonder if her time at TSR had been different what sort of modules we might have seen--or if her opinion of gamers today would have been more positive.Jayhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07997164906328234122noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7487871339000666216.post-28536400678782391172010-02-08T15:23:14.665-05:002010-02-08T15:23:14.665-05:00Acaeum, sorry.Acaeum, sorry.devisorhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16400214403122519533noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7487871339000666216.post-34530440883312045782010-02-08T15:22:15.941-05:002010-02-08T15:22:15.941-05:00If you follow the links from The Arcanum's dis...If you follow the links from The Arcanum's discussion of B3 you see that there's still some sour grapes floating around. I think that the people who squashed the module have realized that what they did was petty, idiotic or both, but they aren't willing to admit it, so they just throw venom around.devisorhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16400214403122519533noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7487871339000666216.post-50460218369744569992010-02-08T12:52:11.873-05:002010-02-08T12:52:11.873-05:00Here's Gygax's take on the B3 controversy:...Here's Gygax's take on the B3 controversy: <br /><br /><i>You ask the man who decided on the 'Amazon' and 'Temptress' illos in original D&D, the 'Eldritch Wizardry' supplement cover about something in the artwork in Jean Well's module being 'objectionable'? I am quite at a loss as to how to respond.<br /><br /><br />Actually, it was Kevin Blume who literally pitched a fit about the product, demanded it be recalled. I had no input into the matter and I would have quashed his objection had I been able to do so. The fact is, though, that there were three persons on the Board of Directors of the company - Brian Blume, Kevin Blume and me. Similarly, while I was the President and CEO, Brian placed himself in charge of creative affairs, as President of that activity, while Kevin was President of all other operations. This effectively boxed me off into a powerless role. If a 'President' under me did something I didn't like, my only recourse would be to take the matter to the Board of Directors where I would be outvoted two to one.</i><br /><br />From here: http://www.thekyngdoms.com/forums/viewtopic.php?t=37TyBannermanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13241483332119936529noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7487871339000666216.post-33099674737398411022010-02-08T12:05:13.661-05:002010-02-08T12:05:13.661-05:00So that explains what happened with B3. Argh. I...So that explains what happened with B3. Argh. I've in enough bureaucracies that I can picture every excruciating "WTF?" moment you went through, Jean. My sympathies.<br /><br />(I had one of those "S&M" versions when it was new. Lost it in a move, drat it.)Anthonyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01254215329246851683noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7487871339000666216.post-3749487896806138752010-02-08T11:56:15.219-05:002010-02-08T11:56:15.219-05:00They refer to sumatran rats in the text of my mons...They refer to sumatran rats in the text of my monster manual, but there is no illustration. I wonder if I have a different version of the MM, I think mine is third printing.<br /><br />Is it possible some art was added later, and or/was excised?Aaron E. Steelehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07789462075611254929noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7487871339000666216.post-90396396002668378492010-02-08T11:31:10.226-05:002010-02-08T11:31:10.226-05:00Paladin, look under "RAT, GIANT". The dr...Paladin, look under "RAT, GIANT". The drawing is in two parts: one part shows the hind quarters of a rat entering a hole, and the other part shows the forequarters of a rat exiting a hole.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7487871339000666216.post-6496728738295581552010-02-08T11:30:09.330-05:002010-02-08T11:30:09.330-05:00"Then all hell broke loose in upper managemen..."Then all hell broke loose in upper management. The next thing Ed and I knew we were in trouble. Will Niebling was sitting in Dave Sutherland’s office mad as hell. Ed and I had no idea why. Will accused us of putting S&M into a child’s module."<br /><br />Good grief. What idiocy.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7487871339000666216.post-70796780503830233002010-02-08T11:03:15.559-05:002010-02-08T11:03:15.559-05:00Another great interview, thanks to both you and Je...Another great interview, thanks to both you and Jean Wells for sharing a little piece of the early days!<br /><br />I went back to my old Monster Manual, but I couldn't find any images of Giant Sumatran rats, am I missing something, or is this an in-joke i'm not aware of?Aaron E. Steelehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07789462075611254929noreply@blogger.com