Connection between Forgotten Realms and Greyhawk

[gravyboat]

In the Player's Guide to Faerûn under the "Cosmology" section, it is explained that a connection exists between the Plane of Shadow in the FR cosmology and alternate Material Planes (such as Greyhawk's Material Plane). It also reads that this connection is possibly the reason why spells exist in Faerûn that are named after famous magic users from Greyhawk (i.e. Bigby, Otiluke, Mordekainen).

This raises a couple of questions in my mellon...
What happens to clerics from the Forgotten Realms that cross over into Greyhawk? Is the connection to their patron god severed? That is, must they choose a god of Greyhawk to continue to get spells?

How specifically would this connection between FR's Plane of Shadow and Grayhawk's Material Plane take place? Is it a portal that exists on the Plane of Shadow, or is it one of those regions that is explained in the Underdark book where one can accidentily wander through the coterminous points between the planes and not know a jump to the material plane has taken place? How are the Planes of Shadow for both FR and Greyhawk connected, if at all?

Is all this information about the connection between the Plane of Shadow and alternate Material Realms new to 3rd edtion Forgotten Realms material? Or are there older resources consistent with the material covered in Player's Guide to Faerûn?

Would a connection between the cosmoligies of Toril and Greyhawk likely be heavily guarded by any beings or deities?

 

[Davelozzi]

I believe that it's supposed to be that one Plane of Shadow extends through both cosmologies.

In previous editions, this was not an issue as there were no seperate cosmologies. FR & GH were seperate material planes (or seperate crystal spheres if you used Spelljammer) but they shared the same Astral, Inner & Outer planes.

As far how it's handled when a cleric switches over, I'm not sure if there is an official answer to this now, but unless I wanted to play up the cut off from your divine power angle I'd probably just let the cleric get power from the most equivalent god (for example Tyr or Torm = Heironeus).

 

[DarkMaster]

I usually use the following reasoning.
Roaming cleric usually get their spell from associated god or gods in the other cosmology. I assume that their is some kind of deals between the gods from the various cosmology to help the roaming cleric defending a similar cause to them, But the cleric will have to pay extra tithe to get the same services from this or these gods.

In the case where there are no associated god I also allow a certain % of the divine energy to access the roaming cleric depending on how "far" he his. In the case of GreyHawk I would give around 80% because of the straight forward channel.

I would not guard such an intrance unless a god or other entity would gain from it. Maybe a group of rogue astral creature took over the gate and charge a fee to cross it.

 

[RigaMortus]

I believe both Greyhawk and FR share some of the same gods. I am pretty sure Corellon Larethian is present in both settings. Not sure where I was going with this, but, uhh... Have fun!

 

[Sejs]

Actually that issue is covered... um.. somewhere. In one of the FR god books I believe. Greyhawk's Corellon is Corellon, and FR's Corellon is Corellon, but they're two seperate Corellons.

Wacky, I know, but official.

 

[gravyboat]

Actually that issue is covered... um.. somewhere. In one of the FR god books I believe. Greyhawk's Corellon is Corellon, and FR's Corellon is Corellon, but they're two seperate Corellons.

Wacky, I know, but official.

I didn't even consider that some of the gods exist in both settings.
Faiths and Pantheons has a sidebar that explains the point you are trying to say Sejs. They give the example of Lolth who exists in both Faerûn and Greyhawk, yet they are distinct deities.

 

[DMStormtrooperG]

Problem resolved *-] In Norse mythology there are nine worlds connected by the tree of life

 

[Catolias]

I know it is not canon, but I’ve thought FR and Greyhawk coexist on Oerth but that something (other than distance) physically blocks access between the Flaeness and the FR - thus the need to pass through some portal. In my mind, I’ve thought the FR might be on the lands adjoinjng the Oceanum Titanicum or in Antaria - or another unknown continent altogether...

 

[the Jester]

This is addressed somewhere, though I'm not 100% positive where off hand and the relevant books are mostly not at my house right now. I think that it's in the 1e Manual of the Planes, but it might be the 3e version. Or maybe some Planescape stuff.

Basically- if I remember this right- when you travel to another plane, you can still prepare 1st and 2nd level spells (which, at least in 1e, a cleric got through his faith alone, without needing direct divine contact). If you want to do more than that, you need to temporarily devote yourself to the a close parallel to your god. For example, if you're from Greyhawk and you worship Nerull, the NE god of death, and you end up in the Realms, you might need to temporarily follow Myrkhul or Bhaal or whoever is the best fit. It's okay with your god, because this is a thing that the gods of various pantheons worked out at some point long ago.

I'll try to hunt up a reference for this at some point later, when I've got the appropriate books to hand.

 

[Enrico Poli1]

This thread is old...

Anyway, the answer lies in the Spelljammer campaigns box. Toril, Oerth, Krynn, lie each in a separate Crystal Sphere in the same Prime Material Plane. A cleric can receive spells from his god, only if the god has a presente in that Crystal Sphere. Otherwise you were limited ti 1-2 Lvl spells. A Cleric could always pray for spells from a similar god (Pelor-Lathander etc)
There were exceptions: pantheistic faiths, or the cult of Ptah, God of travel...