Greyhawk is correct smack dab in the course of the brand new Dungeon Grasp’s Information. A gazetteer that fashions making your individual world.
One of many massive options of the brand new Dungeon Grasp’s Information is a Greyhawk Gazetteer. It’s technically there to mannequin what a marketing campaign world can seem like. However over the course of 29 pages, it dives deep into what that particular world is all about.
I don’t know if it’s really that useful for folk trying to construct their very own marketing campaign world. But it surely positive is informative. And it’s packed stuffed with names that can make anybody really feel a pang for third Version.
Greyhawk Gazetteer within the New Dungeon Grasp’s Information – Can You Actually Make This World Your Personal?
The entire premise of the chapter is you could both use it as a mannequin to your personal marketing campaign world. Or you should use it as inspiration to flesh out your individual model of Greyhawk. To cite web page 143:
“Greyhawk is a D&D setting you should use because the ackdrop to your marketing campaign or as a mannequin you’ll be able to reference whereas creating your individual setting. Essential points of Greyhawk are described herein as a way to make it your individual, increasing or altering it nevertheless you want.”
However how does that truly maintain up? I wish to spotlight among the issues the chapter does nicely. It begins by defining the large Premise and Conflicts within the land. The premise units the stage for the sorts of adventures you might need in Greyhawk, and it boils all the way down to, “evil is on the rise, if nobody does something, Japanese Oerik will fall to darkish powers.”
It then units up three massive conflicts in Greyhawk. Now, your mileage could differ in terms of helpful worldbuilding information. But it surely does assist to know what “lively” forces are on this planet. And on this case, there are three villainous teams, Chromatic Dragons, the Cult of Elemental Evil, and the evil demigod Iuz and his followers.
Every battle has a “pattern arc” of what you may anticipate adventures to seem like from ranges 1-20. However then we get into the nitty gritty particulars of the world. And right here’s what WotC lists, as a way to see what sort of elements they suppose go into making your individual world:
- A Calendar
- Factions and Organizations
- How magic is seen
- Mysteries of the Area (I like this one so much)
- The gods of Greyhawk
- The Free Metropolis of Greyhawk (a beginning hub to your marketing campaign)
- Greyhawk Metropolis itself will get quite a lot of consideration and is damaged down into metropolis districts
- And native rumors
- Plus a couple of conflicts
- The encompassing areas of Japanese Oerik
All in all, I believe that is good as a mannequin. However I believe that it’s lacking out on quite a lot of the “why’s.” Which is an fascinating miss, contemplating that the chapters on Campaigns and Encounters speak extra about why you wish to use sure issues in constructing both.
Perhaps there’s an entire different ebook that would discover what items of worldbuilding you may want, and why. However finally, that is extra a “hey right here’s a Greyhawk Setting Information” than a “template for constructing your individual marketing campaign world.” It’s rather more efficient as the previous. Even so, you’re certain to seek out some inspiration. And if not, don’t fear, the Cosmology chapter is correct across the nook.
It’s good to see a return to Greyhawk, nevertheless transient!
