I had to delete post

[geneweigel]

Sorry, my FB just blew up over my funerary observances that I made earlier. I saved it if anyone wants to read it but better leave it out of public view for now.

[GRWelsh]

I read your RIP post for Jennell Jaquays. I didn't see it as offensive but I was just about to warn you about "dead naming" and not using a person's preferred pronouns can draw you a lot of heat on the internet. I wasn't sure if you were aware of that.

I don't have CAVERNS OF THRACIA or DARK TOWER but I always heard they were classics. RIP to an old school game designer. I'm glad you got to meet her.

In regards to CASTLE GREYHAWK I also have wanted to ask the writers... What was the intention? Was it really meant to be an insult to EGG and a slap in the face to the Greyhawk fans? I've often suspected that it might have simply been misguided. The idea of a "parody adventure" by itself isn't a bad one -- but merging it with title of a long-awaited product that many fans had expectations about was the bad idea. We were all expecting one thing and got the "pie in the face" instead, as you put it.

[geneweigel]

Those who write off CG haven't really looked at it. "CHAPTER 11: MORDENKAINEN'S MOVIE MADNESS" is flat humorless humor and impossible to actually play with the absurd overly critical damage jammed in there. Everything about it is just an attack on Gary in a crude way just to humiliate his persona to his fans (the buying public). Here is the beginning:

Setting
The eleventh dungeon level below Castle Greyhawk is the home of the master mage Mordenkainen (of "Faithful Hound" fame.) The arch-mage cleared out the entire level about four years ago in order to make room for his, uh, film studio. Needless to say, the reports of his death were greatly exaggerated. You see, after completely exploring the World of Greyhawk. growing weary of expeditions to the relatively boring outer planes. and wincing at the thought of just one more voyage to the extremely boring inner planes. Mordenkainen turned his attention toward mapping out the various alternate Prime Material planes he had discovered during his adventures. On one such plane he found a world very similar to our own 20th-Century Earth. There he met Sam and Irwin Splittstein, a pair of down-on· their-luck film makers. Sam and Irwin had popularized the so-called "Sword and Sorcery" movie (the Splittsteins like to refer to their efforts as "flicks"), These films usually feature one or more bronze skinned body builders portraying hulking barbarians. one or two scantily clad models, and a horde of "guys in rubber suits" (portraying the monsters that make up the barbarians' opposition). Unfortunately. just before Mordenkainen's arrival. "Free the POW" and "Grim Vigilante of Justice" movies had a sudden resurgence of popularity, crowding the Splittstems' Sword and Sorcery Dicks right out of the B-movie bonanza. Always the entrepreneur, Mordenkainen offered the Splittsteins a deal. Borrowing some equipment, Mordenkainen offered to return to Greyhawk and make Sword and Sorcery nicks on a tiny fraction of the budget with which Sam and Irwin were currently operating. In addition, Mordenkainen promised that his films would capture a much larger share of the viewing audience because the arch-mage could cast real barbarians, dragons. and sorcerers. Guaranteeing spectacular scenes and effects that would make Sam and Irwin's flicks look cheap by comparison (well. cheaper). In return for his services. Mordenkainen asked for a flat 35% of the box office gross (paid in gold and gems of course) plus exclusive distribution rights in Greyhawk. Sam and Irwin drove a hard bargain-the wizard only got 30%. This arrangement has worked out rather well for both parties over the past four years. Originally. Mordenkainen set up shop Just outside his stronghold in the Great Kingdom: but after a while business expanded so much that he was forced to set up another branch of his studio.  He chose the dungeons beneath Castle Greyhawk for this subsidiary effort so he could be close to the Random Monster Generator (on level 12). which provides  him with constant cast members for his films. Recently. Mordenkainen has grown as an artist and has began branching out of the Sword and Sorcery genre. When the players arrive on level 11. the archmage will be in the process of making three flicks. These are "Seven Secrets of Kung Fu Death"-a typical chop sockey starring the fabled Grand Master of Flowers and an unlikely horde of exotic ninjas. "Monster Fraternity Vacation II: Daytona Daze,·-the sequel to last year's popular ';Monster Fraternity Vacation," in which the boys once again head to Fort Lauderdale for spring break, and "Fantasy; The Movie"- the long-awaited film version of fantasy role-playing games. The latter film is Mordenkainen's pet project

[GRWelsh]

I agree that is a lame attempt a humor. If that is an attack on EGG and intended to parody him, it seems like a obscure, inside joke. What is the insult? That he went to Hollywood and was hanging out with movie-making folks and tried to get a D&D movie made?