Ok, when I started playing D&D it was back in the early 80s playing Keep on the Borderlands, The Giants series, and other classic modules. Since these were based in Greyhawk, i suppose I have some experience in the setting. But I don't know the details of a lot of the mythos discussed in the threads here. What should I be reading to brush up on my Greyhawk knowledge?
Chief Creative Officer, Publisher
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Well, first and foremost it's important to stress that you don't _need_ to use any campaign setting to get full value out of the Age of Worms Adventure Path. That said, there will be conversion appendices for Eberron and the Forgotten Realms, and fans of Greyhawk will find that the campaign fits seamlessly into the backdrop of the Central Flanaess. I suggest the following resources for DMs interested in weaving the Age of Worms into an official campaign world.
GREYHAWK: The Living Greyhawk Gazetteer, Greyhawk: The Adventure Begins
FORGOTTEN REALMS: Forgotten Realms Campaign Setting, City of Splendors: Waterdeep
EBERRON: Eberron Campaign Setting, Sharn: City of Towers
--Erik Mona
Editor-in-Chief
Dragon & Dungeon
Thanks. Well, since I'm going to start a new campaign from scratch and haven't played or DM'd in a long time, I think I'll stick with the Greyhawk setting you wrote it for. At least now I have something to read while I'm waiting for the next issue of Dungeon :D
The LGG is a great book. You will not regret your purchase.
Ahhh... another newcomer to the World of Greyhawk. :)
I remember when I first heard of Greyhawk, I was like, "Grey-what? I thought Forgotten Realms was the standard setting."
At that time, my only experience with D&D was Baldur's Gate. Now I'm obsessed with Greyhawk.
Truthfully, I'm glad it is the 'core' setting. It makes bringing new players into the world much easier when the gods in the PHB are from Greyhawk and the overall D&D setting fits seamlessly into Greyhawk as is.
I was tempted to start an Eberron game with a group of new players, but I found Greyhawk more welcoming because had too many exceptions to the rules and typical D&D culture while Greyhawk required no adaptation whatsoever. Plus additional campaign-specific books aren't needed when playing in Greyhawk; only the LGG is necessary if players want to really dig into the histories of their home regions, most of which are available for free from Living Greyhawk regional sites anyway.
I strongly suggest reading the Official History of the Greyhawk Wars, too. This is invaluable when creating character backgrounds. I presented this document to my players when i started my campaign, which takes place in 591CY. I told them they should consider these events when creating backgrounds and fleshing out the characters' motives since the wars only ended 7 years prior to the start of their adventuring days. Every where they go, they see remnants of battles and war-torn regions. Patrons at inns share stories and show wounds or missing limbs.
I also suggest getting the huge Greyhawk poster map from the backissues of Dungeon magazine. It's the most current and detailed map available.
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But I don't know the details of a lot of the mythos discussed in the threads here. What should I be reading to brush up on my Greyhawk knowledge?
I whole heartedly agree that you do not need anything besides the core rule books and Dungeon magazine to run the forthcoming Age of Worms Adventure Path. But, I offer the following as an absolutley essential reading list for a World of Greyhawk campaign primer.
Living Greyhawk Gazetteer by Holian, Mona, et. al. (2000).
Greyhawk: The Adventure Begins by Moore (1998), as noted above.
Ivid the Undying (1995), The Marklands (1993) and Iuz the Evil (1993) by Sargent.
From the Ashes by Sargent (1992).
World of Greyhawk Campaign Setting by Gygax (1985), the ubiquitous Greyhawk boxed set.
The next list comprises items that are not as imperative to read, but provide for good information on Greyhawk.
Return to the Temple of Elemental Evil by Monte Cook (2001).
Greyhawk Adventures by Ward (1998).
Rary the Traitor by TSR staff (1992).
Greyhawk Wars by David Cook (1991).
City of Greyhawk by Gygax (1985), another popular boxed set.
The Temple of Elemental Evil by Gygax and Menzter (1985).
You'll notice that most on this list offer broad information in a general sense. For a more detailed picture of specific areas, you have other publications like Scourge of the Slave Lords and Slavers, Fate of Istus, Queen of the Spiders (and the adventures from which it derived), The Lost Caverns of Tsojcanth, The Forgotten Temple of Tharizdun etc. The cool thing is that most of the publications in both lists have old maps. It is interesting to see the seting evolve through the different publications.
Anyway, there ya go. I am sure others can add (or detract) from the above. Luckily, some of us have all of these and more (in duplicate or tripilicate!). But you should be able to track most of these down if you did the unthinkable and got rid of them.
Happy gaming.
Don Kenneth Brown
Salt Lake City, Utah
Any opinion on Greyhawk Player's Guide? I was thinking about picking this up as a resource to help my player's develop their backgrounds some.
It can be useful for that. The stats are all for 2nd Edition, but it gives some good ideas on customized bonuses and penalties for different human ethnicities and also some kits that can be adapted to prestige classes with a little work.
Greyhawk Regional Feats would be good for character backgrounds, too. I actually gave my players a free additional feat just so they could select one that ties into their characters' origins.
Are the Greyhawk regional feats mirroring the 3.5 or 3.0 mechanics developed for Forgotten Realms (where regional feats were first introduced). If 3.0 then an extra feat is a very good idea. But if 3.5 then they are designed to actually be slightly more powerful than a standard feat and giving an extra would have the expected effect.
Sean Mahoney
I'm new to the board but have a quick question. Where exactly in greyhawk is Diamond Lake located? Just so that i can create somu pc backgrounds really.
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I'm new to the board but have a quick question. Where exactly in greyhawk is Diamond Lake located? Just so that i can create somu pc backgrounds really.
About 2 hexes east of the Free City of Greyhawk (if you have acess to a map). Nestled lovingly between the Cairn Hills and Mistmarsh. Hope that helps some.
Could anyone tell me in which issue(s) of Dragon the Greyhawk regional feats are? I'm looking through my back issues and can't find them.
Another Question: has anyone updated/adapted WG4--Forgotten Temple of Tharizdun for 3.5? I am using it in to the Return to the Temple of Elemental Evil as a side adventure between the moathouse and the Temple itself.
Any help on this is appreciated. Thank You.
Could anyone tell me in which issue(s) of Dragon the Greyhawk regional feats are? I'm looking through my back issues and can't find them.
Another Question: has anyone updated/adapted WG4--Forgotten Temple of Tharizdun for 3.5? I am using it in to the Return to the Temple of Elemental Evil as a side adventure between the moathouse and the Temple itself.
Any help on this is appreciated. Thank You.
The feats are in Issues #315 and #319.
I don't know where you can find a conversion of Lost Temple of Tharizdun, but if you do find it, let me know. I'm running RttToEE, too, and I wouldn't mind plugging it in somewhere.