What is Greyhawk?
Greyhawk (GH or WoG) is the original, and still vibrant, setting for the Dungeon & Dragons® (D&D) Role Playing Game (RPG). It is a fantasy setting filled with mysterious places, arcane magic, meddling gods and eager adventurers. The World of Greyhawk is named after the setting’s namesake location, The Free City of Greyhawk, which lies in the center of the Flanaess.
What is Living Greyhawk⁚?
Living Greyhawk (LG) is one of the Role Playing Game Association’s® (RPGA) campaign settings. People play Living Greyhawk in an organized network divided by region all over the world. Their organized play considers the actions of tens-of-thousands of registered players that shape the future of Greyhawk, giving it a living feel. Player Characters (PCs) can potentially have an influence on the setting’s events and fortunes.
Are Living Greyhawk and the World of Greyhawk the Same?
Not exactly, but close. Living Greyhawk is managed and organized by the RPGA, and Greyhawk is the network’s official setting. The World of Greyhawk is the same setting used at large by an unnumbered amount of players and Dungeon Masters (DM) at tabletops in private games. Generally, private games played in Greyhawk are much more customized and their results do not influence the setting in an official capacity.
What is the Best Source of Information for Greyhawk?
It depends on individual preferences, needs and experience. Ostensibly, the Living Greyhawk Gazetteer (LGG) is the best “one-stop” source for general, contemporary information. The RPGA also maintains a LG Web site with information pertaining to its campaign. Dungeon and Dragon magazines, from Paizo Publishing, often contain information and game mechanics specifically written for Greyhawk. Dungeon has become especially helpful for publishing material for Greyhawk. There are also many Fan-based Web sites provided by devoted novice and veteran Greyhawkers alike. There is, of course, 25-plus years of adventure modules, supplemental books and novels from which to draw myriad details about Greyhawk.
What is the Living Greyhawk Gazetteer?
The LGG is a 192-page source book from Wizards of the Coast (WotC) used as the official guide to Greyhawk for the RPGA’s LG network. But, the LGG also serves as a rich and informative resource for private gamers at tabletops around the world who do not participate in LG events. However you enjoy Greyhawk, the LGG is a great supplement for learning about and enjoying D&D’s oldest setting. It has chapters about general history, culture and Greyhawk deities. The bulk of the LGG, however, is devoted to the nations, regions and powers that exist in the Flanaess after the Greyhawk Wars. It is a must-have for anyone looking for details about the nation-states, big and small, in the Flanaess.
What is not in the Living Greyhawk Gazetteer?
It does not have game rules or mechanics for running a D&D game in Greyhawk. For example, there are no spells, Prestige Classes or feats. It does not have statistics on Non Player Characters (NPCs) or adventures, either. It is not a campaign setting book in the traditional sense.
What is the Dungeons and Dragons Gazetteer?
It is a concise, 30-page summary of Greyhawk. Its information is drawn from the Living Greyhawk Gazetteer. Many people find it a useful item to share with players who are new to Greyhawk and want to begin exploring the Flanaess.
Are WotC’s Generic 3.0 Adventures Set in Greyhawk?
No, they are not. But they fit into Greyhawk very well and are easily adapted to the setting’s many regions. Most people use the entry-level adventures (The Sunless Citadel⁚ and Forge of Fury⁚) as primers for Return to the Temple of Elemental Evil by setting them in the Verbobonc region.
Where are Greyhawk Adventure Modules Located?
All over the Flanaess, luckily. A very comprehensive list may be viewed HERE, at Canonfire.com. The list noted above indicates generally accepted locations for Greyhawk-specific modules. Please email the FAQ Manager for additions and corrections.
What Are the Official Greyhawk Sourcebooks?
They are, in order from latest to earliest:
Living Greyhawk Gazetteer; trade paperback; WotC November 2000.
Dungeons and Dragons Gazetteer; trade paperback/folio; WotC April 2000.
Slavers; trade paperback; WotC April 2000.
The Scarlet Brotherhood; trade paperback; WotC March 1999.
Greyhawk: The Adventure Begins; trade paperback; TSR July 1998.
Greyhawk Player’s Guide; trade paperback/folio; TSR June 1998.
Ivid the Undying; unreleased as a commercial product; TSR 1995.
Iuz the Evil; trade paperback; TSR April 1993.
The Marklands; trade paperback; TSR February 1993.
Greyhawk Adventures: From the Ashes; boxed set; TSR November 1992.
Greyhawk Adventures: Wars; boxed set; December 1991.
The City of Greyhawk: Gem of the Flanaess: boxed set; TSR September 1989.
World of Greyhawk Fantasy Setting: boxed set; TSR March 1983 and March 1984.
The World of Greyhawk: trade paperback/folio; TSR June 1980.
Who are the Greyhawk Gods?
The Living Greyhawk Web site has the most comprehensive, contemporary list of 184 Greyhawk deities on its Divine Order page. The following is a general list of products that have listed and detailed Greyhawk gods over the years.
Player’s Handbook 3.0/3.5 Eds. (WotC 2003): All of the deities in the PHB are taken from the World of Greyhawk. The PHB offers very short paragraphs for each of the 19 Greyhawk deities it notes. Several tables throughout the PHB offer details on alignment and class and race considerations.
Deities and Demi-Gods (WotC 2002): Has full statistics, details and flavor text for all of the Greyhawk gods noted in the 3.0 and 3.5 Ed. PHBs.
The Living Greyhawk Gazetteer (WotC 2000): Contains 70 deities with brief descriptions of each. Details are provided about alignment, origin, stature, domains and weapons. Game statistics are not included.
Dungeons & Dragons Gazetteer (WotC 2000):
Greyhawk Player’s Guide (TSR 1998): Contains a table indicating name, alignment, origin, areas of concern and worshippers. There is no text.
Greyhawk Adventures (TSR 1988): Lots of statistics and text about Greyhawk’s 12 most ubiquitous deities in avatars form.
World of Greyhawk Fantasy Campaign Setting (TSR 1983): Details 22 gods with general information and their manifested powers. But, it offers no game statistics.
[b]Frequently Used Acronyms in Greyhawk.
The following acronyms are used to affect quick, written communication regarding Greyhawk. This list is by no means exhaustive, but we would like to expand it. Please submit additions and corrections to the FAQ Manager.
AD&D – Advanced Dungeons and Dragons.
AD&D2E – Advanced Dungeons and Dragons, 2nd Edition.
CoG – City of Greyhawk
CoUlek – County of Ulek.
CY – Common Year.
DMG – Dungeon Mater’s Guide, usually referring to the WotC product with the version cited; ver. 3.5 Ed., for example.
DoUlek – Duchy of Ulek.
FtA – From the Ashes boxed set by TSR, November 1992.
GG – (Greyhawk) Gazetteer by WotC, September 2000.
GH – Geyhawk, WoG is also used, but seldomly. See below.
GHW – Greyhawk Wars, referring to the event of the armed conflict in the Flanaess or the 1991 boxed set detailing with the same.
G: PG – Greyhawk: Player’s Guide by TSR, June, 1998.
LGG – Living Greyhawk Gazetteer by WotC, November 2000.
LG – Living Greyhawk of the RPGA network.
PHB – Player’s Handbook, usually referring to the WotC product with the version cited; ver. 3.5 Ed., for example.
PoUlek – Principality of Ulek.
RPGA – Role Playing Game Association, with which, Living Greyhawk is associated.
RttToEE – Return to the Temple of Elemental Evil, most notably the 2000 mega-adventure by Monte Cook.
SB – Scarlet Brotherhood.
ToEE – Temple of Elemental Evil, most notably the 1985 mega-adventure by Gary Gygax anf Frank Mentzer.
WoG – World of Greyhawk, most frequently referring to the Flanaess, but also comprising the whole of Oerth.
I need to get the links set up in the document, then cross-check against the other threads to see what was missed.
Please keep posting your suggestions. I can't guarantee a quick turnaround on this, as my schedule is quite busy, but I'll do what I can.
Thanks!
If this is just a test run, I'm curious if you'll allow replies in the 'real' one. I would think that it'd be better not to have replies and, instead, have an email link to whoever is maintaining the faq for any suggestions.
That way it remains a faq and not a discussion that a person has to wade through. Just a thought.
I'd like to get it fairly well completed, and then we'll see whether we allow replies or not. Some boards do, some don't.
You might want to add Complete Divine into the list of resources for GH-Gods. At least a lot of them are detailed there!
I've got a bunch of specific textual edits to the FAQ, do you want me to just email them to you, or can you let me edit your post somehow??
Cool.
Ah, good, I was wondering who had sent something in, since it certainly hadn't been me ;)
Originally posted by grodog
... I was wondering who had sent something in ...
Hey, Allan. Yea, I sent him the above FAQ about three weeks ago. And after reading the posts below the FAQ, I was wondering if Drake was getting you and I confused. No big deal, as long as we get this project underway, at long last.
I sent Melanie at WotC the original e-mail, and she promptly forwarded it to Drake. I never did deal directly with him via e-mail. He can't seem to shake him loose of his e-mail! lol.
Nice work on the FAQ, might I suggest/request that you submit it to Canonfire's forum too? Might be some folks there that don't make it over this way.
Originally posted by chatdemon
Grodog/Greyson,
Nice work on the FAQ, might I suggest/request that you submit it to Canonfire's forum too? Might be some folks there that don't make it over this way.
Will do, Rich, once it's hashed out some more :D
Are there online versions of it, sometime after the issue has been out of print for awhile?
Are there any plans to compile the Greyhawk lore published in DUNGEON or DRAGON and sell it as a complete product?
There's Greyhawk/Living Greyhawk material in pretty much every issue of Dungeon these days.
>Are there online versions of it, sometime after the issue has been out of print for awhile?
Nope - though some of the early LGJ stuff (the stuff that was sent out to RPGA members) is online at the Wizards of the Coast Living Greyhawk site.
It would be really nice if this stuff did end up online at some point though...
>Are there any plans to compile the Greyhawk lore published in DUNGEON or DRAGON and sell it as a complete product?
It's been spoken about and Erik Mona (Dungeon's Editorissimo) has made positive noises about it, but there seems to be a reluctance in the powers that be above him to green light the project.
As for the FAQ...
Grodog, if you could post an updated FAQ from this one and post it, I'll be sure to sticky it before I leave. Sound good?
I dunno about you guys but reading some greyhawkian content and then running into a picture of Darth Vader is going to be a real buzz kill for me.
We got WizO_Sith.
I still have the GH FAQ document with the embedded links. If WizO_Sith (and the rest of the community) wants to at long last get the FAQ going, please let me know.
[email]storm_st@yahoo.com[/email]
For example, there are no spells, Prestige Classes or feats. It does not have statistics on Non Player Characters (NPCs) or adventures, either. It is not campaign setting book in the traditional sense.
I must say, I somewhat resent this language. By this standard, no setting book published for any game before the year 2000 or so is a "campaign setting book in the traditional sense" since it would also lack prestige classes and feats (which didn't exist then). Even the original Greyhawk boxed set wouldn't qualify by these standards.
I argue that the LGG is just as much a campaign setting book as the Forgotten Realms one or any other.
World of Greyhawk Fantasy Campaign Setting (TSR 1983): Details 22 gods with general information and their manifested powers. But, it offers no game statistics.
Along with the Darlene Maps, the WoG boxed set contained two books. A Guide to the World of Greyhawk detailed 22 gods with general information about them and their priesthoods, as you mentioned. It also gave the names, portfolios, ethnic backgrounds, alignments, relative power, and genders for 60 gods in all. The Glossography contained the AD&D stats of 22 gods and 4 quasi-deities, and special rules for clerics dedicated to them (extra powers and XP penalties).
A thread every Greyhawker should visit!
I’ve just got a few questions for the WizO…
I’m not sure that these necessarily qualify as Greyhawk as my gaming group generally includes anything WotC ever printed in our campaigns…
I’ve referenced the source material and copied the relevant text, and under that I’ve posed the question that is being debated among my group.
Gomenasai in advance for all the headaches I'm sure you're going to experience over this.
From the v.3.5 Core Rulebook III Monster Manual:
Level Adjustment
This line is included in the entries of creatures suitable for use as player characters or as cohorts (usually creatures with Intelligence scores of at least 3 and possessing opposable thumbs). Add this number to the creature's total Hit Dice, including class levels, to get the creature's effective character level (ECL). A character's ECL affects the experience the character earns, the amount of experience the character must have before gaining a new level, and the character's starting equipment. See pages 172, 199, 209 of the Dungeon Master's Guide for more information.
From p. 172 of the v.3.5 Core Rulebook II Dungeon Master's Guide
Starting Level of a Monster PC: The table above give the level adjustment for several monsters. Add a monster's level adjustment to its Hit Dice and class levels to get the creature's effective character level, or ECL. Effectively, monsters with a level adjustment become multiclass characters when they take class levels. Characters with more than 1 Hit Die because of their race do not get a feat for their first class level as members of the common races do, and they do not multiply the skill points for their first class level by four. Instead, they have already received a feat for their first Hit Die because of race, and they have already multiplied their racial skill points for their first Hit Die by four.
Use ECL instead of character level when referring to Table 3-2: Experience and Level-Dependant Benefits in the Player's Handbook to determine how many experience points a monster character needs to reach its next level. Also use ECL with Table 5-1: Character Wealth by Level to determine starting wealth for a monster character.
From the v.3.5 SRD Monsters as Races (MonstersasRaces.rtf):
Humanoids and Class Levels: Creatures with 1 or less HD replace their monster levels with their character levels. The monster loses the attack bonus, saving throw bonuses, skills, and feats granted by its 1 monster HD and gains the attack bonus, save bonuses, skills, feats, and other class abilities of a 1st-level character of the appropriate class.
Characters with more than 1 Hit Die because of their race do not get a feat for their first class level as members of the common races do, and they do not multiply the skill points for their first class level by four. Instead, they have already received a feat for their first Hit Die because of race, and they have already multiplied their racial skill points for their first Hit Die by four.
Level Adjustment and Effective Character Level: To determine the effective character level (ECL) of a monster character, add its level adjustment to its racial Hit Dice and character class levels.
Use ECL instead of character level to determine how many experience points a monster character needs to reach its next level. Also use ECL to determine starting wealth for a monster character.
Monster characters treat skills mentioned in their monster entry as class skills.
If a monster has 1 Hit Die or less, or if it is a template creature, it must start the game with one or more class levels, like a regular character. If a monster has 2 or more Hit Dice, it can start with no class levels (though it can gain them later).
Even if the creature is of a kind that normally advances by Hit Dice rather than class levels a PC can gain class levels rather than Hit Dice.
My question is…
If you have a Human (+0 LA) with the Half-Dragon Template (+2 LA) applied to it, and you gain your first level in Sorcerer, do you consider that character a 3rd level multi-class with 2 class levels of Half-Dragon and 1 class level character,”
If so, wouldn’t that character gain their 2nd feat for their 3rd multi-class character level?
Also a question from the Unearthed Arcana book regarding bloodlines, p. 19
A bloodline level grants no increase in base attack bonus or base save bonus, no hit points or skill points, and no class features. It counts as a normal class level (with no class skills) for the purpose of determining maximum skill ranks. Levels of bloodline never result in XP penalties for multiclass characters.
Include the character's bloodline level when calculating any character ability based on his class levels (such as caster level for spellcasting characters, or save DCs for characters with special abilities whose DCs are based on class level). The character doesn't gain any abilities, spells known, or spells per day from the addition of his bloodline levels, though-only the calculations of his level based abilities are affected.
My question is...
If you have a Human (+0 LA) with a Major Silver Dragon Bloodline who took 2 levels of Fighter, his first Bloodline level at the next character level, would he be considered a 3rd level multiclass character and gain his 2nd feat?
If the answer is yes...
If the same character gained another level of Fighter and somehow later that same level he gained the Half-Dragon template (+2 LA), would he not then be treated as a 6th level multiclass character (3 levels of Fighter, 1 Bloodline level, and 2 Half-Dragon levels as pertaining to the above question) and be denied the benefit of his bloodline because he didn’t take his 2nd bloodline level at his 6th character level? If he is, then if the next time he gained a level he took his second bloodline level, wouldn’t he be treated as a 7th level multiclass character, with 3 levels of Fighter, 2 bloodline levels, and 2 levels of Half-Dragon?
These are just some ponderings and postulations of my own, but I could really use a WizO answer, seeing as how my gaming group doesn’t use ECLs or Bloodlines anymore so that our eardrums don’t take a beating.
Domo Arigato,
Zoentrobe
I’ve just got a few questions for the WizO…
I’m not sure that these necessarily qualify as Greyhawk as my gaming group generally includes anything WotC ever printed in our campaigns…
These aren't GH-related questions at all. They are general rules questions. Just because this thread was 'sponsored' by a WizO doesn't mean it can be used as a Q&A session about D&D. And just because GH is supposed to be the setting of the Core Rules (like anyone still believed that..
) doesn't mean Core Rules questions are automatically tied to GH.Let us please keep this thread free of anything not directly related to the WoG setting (and I do mean the setting, not the D&D rules)
My question is…
If you have a Human (+0 LA) with the Half-Dragon Template (+2 LA) applied to it, and you gain your first level in Sorcerer, do you consider that character a 3rd level multi-class with 2 class levels of Half-Dragon and 1 class level character,”
If so, wouldn’t that character gain their 2nd feat for their 3rd multi-class character level?
This one belongs here.
If you have a Human (+0 LA) with a Major Silver Dragon Bloodline who took 2 levels of Fighter, his first Bloodline level at the next character level, would he be considered a 3rd level multiclass character and gain his 2nd feat?
And this one here.
Best Greyhawk anything I ever found was a 4part map that was released with Dungeon (I think, may have been Dragon) Magazine in issues 118-121.
Lets get some people posting here again and please if possible post information that can be used in 4e campaigns. If it can not be used because of some existing 4e canon then please state what edition the information was last good for; as I am aware that many players prefer to play previous editions.