Sat Nov 30, 2024 10:52 am  
Identifying a Greyhawk Adventure

"What makes a Greyhawk Adventure?"

This question comes up regularly in various forms about what makes Greyhawk different. In the past, I have never given an answer as I feel none is needed – every setting is distinct simply by being different. Now I have a more direct answer: "Civilization is threatened by Evil."

This is not, "All civilization everywhere is threatened by cosmic evil about to overwhelm and destroy everything and you must save all of Oerth and even the multiverse!!!11!" That first appeared with the 2E supermodules (T1-4, A-14, GDQ1-7) and their revisions from the original publications, notably Lolth’s Bubble in Sterich. This has proven to be a trap, as once the PCs save the multiverse, what does a DM do for an encore? It shows in adventures, adventure paths, and general storylines, all struggling to find grand conclusions more dramatic than ever before.

Instead, using a statement by EGG at the end of the Folio history about Evil being ascendant but bastions of Good still exist, and without giving any attention to "the Balance" that often overshadows talk of themes for Greyhawk, I propose that the core plots should be a simple and local form "Civilization is threatened by Evil”. To some degree a contrast of Howard's "Civilization is a veneer and we are all just barbarians” he declared with Conan. Rather than surrendering to barbarism, personal or external, the focus is protecting Civilization. Evil is always looming, but it does not have to be uber-Evil. Rather, it should be local, allowing it to be more personalized for the PCs. While this does invite some disconnect in storylines, it allows more freedom with an episodic structure, as EVERYTHING does not have to be a grand overarching plot. It also allows more setting exploration, with every three levels or so worth of character advancement ending with the PCs having saved the village or town and now move on to something bigger. There is room for continuing stories – NPCs remain as patrons, contacts, and just plain friends, while villains can reappear. However, new NPCs and new villains can and should show up. New areas should have new threats, with new for the PCs invest in, and new stakes and rewards to motivate them. Conan certainly had no problem finding trouble anywhere he went, and neither should the PCs.

As for an ultimate end to such a campaign, that was hardwired into the AD&D rules with strongholds - bastions as they have now been renamed and restructured. PCs would reach name level, 9th-10th level then carve out a place in the wilderness, extending the boundaries of Civilization, and hold it against incursions. While full political (and mass combat) rules have been done in the past for various editions, none have been fully satisfying as they invariably involve mini-games beyond the standard (aka, “murderhobos in superdungeons”) adventures. While a few high level adventures exist they are not the standard.

With that, by accepting that GH stories top out around 10th level and do not need to end with saving the world let alone the multiverse. (“Around” – that is not a hard cap.) There are plenty of stories that can be told within that range without diminishing the relevance of the setting. There is no need for “level envy” with other settings because they routinely have 20th level adventures and such. As that goes, recognizing that despite the published rules, campaign play can end sooner is not an outrageous or horrible concept, and not something I just spontaneously invented. It showed up in Living Greyhawk and with the Paizo PF adventure paths over time. Campaigns can and do function perfectly well ending below the maximum level in the rules and people should feel comfortable doing so with their Greyhawk stories.

While this answer could still be said to be very generic, that is perhaps another element and strength. While there are many established stories and many more plot hooks in various books that no one has yet developed, Greyhawk is open to a wide range of stories. If I, or anyone else, identify them then it could be taken as limiting the selection. That is precisely what must not be done! If you have a story that you want to tell then tell it. With a bit of effort you can find a place suitable for pretty much anything. For the few things not as suitable, there is everything beyond the Flanaess, into Greyspace, and then further. Those are not Greyhawk? Tell that to Celestian and Fharlanghn, the powers of traveling the whole of Oerth, the stars, and more! Those far places and their outposts of Civilization are threatened by Evil just as much as the familiar locations of the Flanaess. Heroes will find much to do, and many rewards, adventuring out there.