Tue Aug 24, 2021 11:04 pm  
Greyhawk city and surrounding area

by Mike Bridges, Gary Holian and Richard Di Ioia

The City of Greyhawk, located in the center of the Flanaess, is the beating heart of the World of Greyhawk Campaign Setting. This free and independent city-state is home to many of the setting’s most famous characters and its most infamous dungeon. Once a humble trading post, the “Gem of the Flanaess” has grown to become one of the largest cities ever, even bigger than its rival to the west, Dyvers. Greyhawk is home to a vast array of businesses, a powerful thieves’ guild, a school of wizardry, myriad temples to different faiths, and a diverse population that does not favor any particular alignment.

The City of Greyhawk is ruled by a Directing Oligarchy, and controls a domain stretching many leagues in all directions. Greyhawk city and its immediate area (within a couple days journey) include a large lake (the Nyr Dyv), a dangerous swamp (the Mistmarsh), crypt filled hills (the Cairn hills), and an extensive forest. This permits a DM to have side quests in almost any kind of environment to entertain their players, while using the city as a place for downtime activities.

Country specific resources:
City of Greyhawk Boxed Set
Greyhawk: The Adventure Begins
Living Greyhawk Journal #0-5
Gord the Rogue books by Gary Gygax

Adventures in this realm include:
- Intrigues and carousing among all social classes in the city.
- Training characters at Greyhawk’s many institutions of higher learning.
- Exploring the Undercity sewer system.
- Entertaining combat in the Foreign Quater’s Pit, or the Free City Arena.
- Interactions with barge-dwelling Rhennee.
- Dungeon and tomb adventures in the Cairn hills
- Dangerous wetland adventures in the Mistmarsh

Published adventures set in Greyhawk include:
- The Falcon Series, (WGA1: Falcon’s Revenge, WGA2: Falconmaster, WGA3: Flames of the Falcon)
- Mad God’s Key (Dungeon #114)
- The Return of the Eight
- Treasures of Greyhawk (Bladestar, The Neogi Nest, The Shroud of Karyne)
- The Star Cairns (TSR 9579)

Last, but not least, the mother of all dungeons, Castle Greyhawk is the grandest adventure you can have in Greyhawk. This megadungeon can be played in the products:
- WGR1: Greyhawk Ruins and its sequel, Expedition to the Ruins of Greyhawk

Adventures in nearby areas include:
The City of Greyhawk is close to the Nyr Dyv, Wild Coast, Abbor-alz, Bright Desert, and Gnarley Forest, all of which are hotbeds of adventure:
- Investigate and find the cult of Vecna before it’s too late (WGA4: Vecna Lives!)
- Uncover cults and agents of Iuz operating across the Nyr Dyv (Iuz the Evil, Marklands)
- Evil is stirring to the west near the village of Hommlet (Temple of Elemental Evil)
- Disrupt the plans of the Slave Lords (Scourge of the Slave Lords, Slavers)
- Defend the Wild Coast against the Orcish Empire of the Pomarj (From the Ashes, Slavers)
- Explore many other ancient ruins and tombs, all within a few days travel (Mordenkainen’s Fantastic Adventure, C2: Ghost Tower of Inverness,
- Desert adventures in the Bright Desert and interactions with the nefarious archmage Rary (Rary the Traitor supplement)
- The Nyr Dyv, known as the Lake of Unknown Depths, opens up opportunities for underwater adventures.

Campaigning in the City of Greyhawk is primarily for DMs that want to experience highly detailed urban adventures. It is also the literal hub of the entire World of Greyhawk setting. Greyhawk is a place where player characters can encounter famous personages, spend their hard earned treasure, and easily find their next grand adventure.
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Richard Di Ioia (aka Longetalos)