I think the best thing about these forums is the soapbox it gives us to ramble on about our opinions. I wanted to just take some time to discuss the Greyhawk setting in general and also to hear what other people have to say about it. There are, of course, many other campaign settings out there but what about Greyhawk appeals to you.
I think for me it probably has a lot to do with the fact that it is the "father" of game worlds. I started playing D&D back in its infancy (yes, I am that old) and I remember when the Greyhawk folio first game out. I also recall how impressed I was with the 2 part full color map and all the detail and work that must have gone into it. It even inspired me to create my own game world (www.legendsofhyerune.com) (shameless plug) but I will always have a place in my heart for Greyhawk.
I also appreciate the fact that much of the Greyhawk World was left intentionally undeveloped so that it can be geared more easily to individual campaigns and DMs. Some of the other published works are so overdeveloped and have so many books out on the subject that one feels timid to change anything.
I for one used to try to snatch up anything that had the "Greyhawk" logo on it whether I ever intended to use it or not I liked reading the pieces for reference and also simply out of interest. I thought they were that good as well as very creative. The many "modules" that came out were just icing on the cake so to speak. They were always simple works but also great fun that bring about many fond memories. I am not sure if I am able to say the same thing about some of the newer non-Greyhawk pieces that are out there.
Anyone else have thoughts about the future of Greyhawk and where they would like it to go?
Greyhawk was my entry-point into Advanced Dungeons and Dragons in the mid-1980s. I did start off with all three Dungeons and Dragons boxed sets. But when it came time to "get serious," Greyhawk was there. ANd so I got into it, and it has remained a sentimental attachment for me, beyond how great the setting is in a mechanical sense.
I whole-heartedly agree with Rhineglade's quote from above:
Rhineglade wrote:
I also appreciate the fact that much of the Greyhawk World was left intentionally undeveloped so that it can be geared more easily to individual campaigns and DMs. Some of the other published works are so overdeveloped and have so many books out on the subject that one feels timid to change anything.
And that's why I stick with Greyhawk. I always thought it had the right amount of support in its heyday. Adventure modules are important to me, and Greyhawk had a lot of great ones. _________________ Don (Greyson)
Greyhawk has been my favorite fantasy setting since 1986.
I had some campaigns with different systems in some other settings like Forgotten Realms, Eternal Champions, Hyborian Age, Glorantha... but after all these years Greyhawk is still the one.
So many plots can be developped because of political tensions, secret societies and the deeply rooted history!
Its not only a matter of Good vs Evil like some juvenile settings but there is also a vast array of different shades of neutrality that provide so much opportunity for roleplaying.
Greyhawk appeals to me for many reasons. Though I started with Basic and Expert D&D, I soon graduated to AD&D as it had so much more to offer. The core books themselves were part of the reason. Lots more options and helpful information for a budding player and DM.
And then along came the World of Greyhawk boxed set. The imagery presented there was just along the lines of what I preferred in a campaign world. Mystery along the lines of the Valley of the Mage, the seedy underside of Greyhawk city and its ruling council which boasted members from some of the most powerful criminal organizations in the Flaness. A touch of history on everything from the various lands, to the various peoples/cultures and personalities. It echoed the sublte flavor of Fritz Leiber's Fafhrd and Gray Mouser stories, rather than other fantasy writers who often do not touch on the basic people of the world(who actually can make interesting characters).
But the most important thing was that it was not COMPLETELY developed. Everyone seems to agree on this point. Even though we would like to see more source material for Greyhawk, we mostly only want to see a certain kind. We don't want the most current history set in stone. Rather, we want background information presented to us up to a point. We want the writers to say "Here it is. Its ready for you to do with it what you will." The latest trend for Greyhawk having been bumped rather far into the future from the relative date of the WoG boxed set(CY 579 or so?) was a big mistake in my opinion. The material was presented in a form such that "Here is how things have changed. If that doesn't fit into your campaign world then you might want to start over". Or simply not buy any of the new material, a not-so-excellent marketing strategy. What if the majority of people had not advanced to the currently presented year in their campaing? What if a campaign had progressed in a way that the Greyhawk Wars didn't fit well into the DM's campaign plans? And then there is Living Greyhawk, with yet another campaign time jump.
The old modules are a perfect example of not giving too mcuh information. They seemed bare bones hack-n'-slash adventures, but by design they were not. They were what you made of them, because they hinted at additional information and outcomes that could be created by the DM to properly fit into their campaign. They respected a DM's level of intelligence and creativity to react to the characters' actions on the fly. Nowadays, everything is roughly spelled out unneccessarily(for the most part). Let's face it, no group of players is going to have their characters respond to the same situations in exactly the same way. All it took was to give a map location on the Greyhawk hex grid and the slightest mention of how the adventure might be affecting the local area and then a good DM could then have a field day fitting things into their campaign perfectly. Many of the Greyhawk adventures could turn seemingly minor events and characters into major ones with regards to an overall campaign. Perhaps that is just a sign of having good writers for the adventures and source material though. All I know is that is worked very well.
I have lots of fond memories from many different adventures in Greyhawk, both as a player and as a DM. The memories spring from the material, the players, the DM, and all of the situations we managed to land ourselves in. Many thanks to those who have supported the World of Greyhawk throughout the years, paticularly the earlier ones.
One of the things I've always liked about Greyhawk is the versitility of the setting. Depending on where you are, you can run a horror game, high fantasy, low fantasy. sword and sorcery, dark fantasy, even Arabian fantasy.
Before i got into Greyhawk, i dmed a little in a homebrew setting of mine, and then some in the Forgotten Realms. Greyhawk is the setting that i intented to make my homebrew like. Knights, wizards, conspirating kings, and that still has all the good stuff from d&d, like dragons, demons etc.
Greyhawk has everything in the right place for me. While i like the Realms, i always felt that setting was scattershot, not to talk about how the setting is already very developed. With Greyhawk, even if i use the latter stuff that details the setting, it's still not as big as to be intimidating. I also love the maps, the overall vibe of the setting, lore, basically everything.
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