Build a Greyhawk Library – Greyhawk ’76 (Ep. 3)

Lair Of Secrets

On this episode of Greyhawk ’76, Ken talks about the essential books for running a World of Greyhawk campaign, including the new Dungeon Master’s Guide (2024), the World of Greyhawk boxed set (1983) and the Expedition to the The Ruins of Greyhawk (2007).

Chapters

0:00 Introduction
1:00 Greyhawk ‘76 Campaign Kickoff
2:30 Reviewing the 2024 Dungeon Master’s Guide
4:00 Updated Maps: Hits and Misses
6:00 Exploring Greyhawk Lore: Classic Sourcebooks
8:00 The Twin Cataclysms and Canon Debates
10:00 Iuz, the Great Kingdom, and Major Conflicts
12:00 Adventure Hooks and Iconic Locations
14:00 Wrapping Up: Greyhawk Library Essentials

Listen to the Video

Watch the Episode

Watch ‘Build a Greyhawk Library – D&D 2024 (Ep. 3)” on YouTube

Show Notes

• Welcome to Greyhawk ’76. Let’s talk books!
• Player’s Handbook (2024)
  • The rules.
• Dungeon Master’s Guide (2024)
  • High-level overview of the Free City of Greyhawk and the larger campaign setting.
  • Loosely based on the 1980 Greyhawk Folio.
  • It’s nice to see Greyhawk featured so prominently, but there are a ton of continuity, country, and NPC changes that don’t make a ton of sense (except in the context of 1) updating Greyhawk for modern sensibilities 2) fitting all the things into Greyhawk … which doesn’t really need all the things fit into it.
    • Like … why is Otto (long standing member of the Circle of Eight) now a … dwarf?
  • Sets up the primary conflicts as … Elemental Evil (they were defeated, but yeah, some cultists are still out there), the demigod Iuz (gathering his forces in the north; classic villain), and dragons … umm, yeah, dragons aren’t world-shatteringly important in Greyhawk. The Scarlet Brotherhood and/or the dying Great Kingdom are better Big Bads.
  • BUT … it wouldn’t be Greyhawk if we weren’t arguing about canon … hell, it feels like coming home to be reading people passionately and thoughtfully arguing about how the latest release disrespects with their favorite setting (I’m looking at you, From the Ashes).
  • I’ll link to some of that commentary in the show notes.
  • Fold-out map of the Flanaess, with the City of Greyhawk on the other side.
• The World of Greyhawk (1983)
  • The true state of the World of the World in CY 576.
  • The original World of Greyhawk boxed set.
• Greyhawk Adventures (1988)
  • Notes on Gods, Geography, Magic Items, Spells, and even Zero Level Characters
• The City Of Greyhawk (1989) – Pre-Greyhawk Wars release
  • Gazetter of the Free City and the Surrounding Area – the city, plus some city-based things like the DM’s guide to the Low City (random tables!)
  • Folk, Feuds, and Factions – a who’s who of the free city, plus guilds, low life, mages and priests, economics, military, and law.
• Expedition to the The Ruins of Greyhawk
  • The 3.5 update of the Greyhawk Ruins book, which itself documented a chunk of Castle Greyhawk.
  • Never ran it, but I might pull from it if the crew goes there.
  • Somewhere, i’ve got a copy of the original Greyhawk Ruins … but haven’t been able to fi gure out where I put it.
• Living Greyhawk Gazetteer
  • This book provided the foundation for the old Living Greyhawk campaign.
  • It takes place in CY 591, which is nearly two decades after our ’76 campaign, but it’s still a great reference (particularly for areas not covered extensively in earlier releases)
• Castle Greyhawk
  • The joke version of Castle Greyhawk. Not recommended.
• Two new fan-created resources
  • World of Greyhawk Gazetteer Revised
  • Classic Guide to Greyhawk
• Greyhawk grognards take on DMG 2024
  • Canonfire – Samwise – Greyhawk 2024
  • Age of Great Sorrow – Entirely Unsolicited Grognard Opinions on the World of Greyhawk in the 2024 D&D Dungeon Master’s Guide

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