D&D 5E Ed Greenwood's 'Death Masks' and Greyhawk

[Ath-kethin]

If it's any indication that GREYHAWK is in the pipeline i'm all for it as i've been sage waiting for something other than FR for a long time now my arms are open for anything!

. . . as long as Grayhawk isn't just presented as (yet another) "different area of the Forgotten Realms," I agree.

I just realized I'm lying. One stripe of vanilla fantasy is the same as another in my book. I prefer Grayhawk to the Realms overall, but until they give us something solid for Dark Sun or
Spelljammer (or the Hollow World) I'm still snoozing on the sidelines.

 

[Plaguescarred]

. . . as long as Grayhawk isn't just presented as (yet another) "different area of the Forgotten Realms," I agree.

I just realized I'm lying. One stripe of vanilla fantasy is the same as another in my book. I prefer Grayhawk to the Realms overall, but until they give us something solid for Dark Sun or
Spelljammer (or the Hollow World) I'm still snoozing on the sidelines.

Yeah nothing as part of the Realms please.

For something less vanilla i'd throw my vote for EBERRON indeed!

 

[DMZ2112]

I've thought a lot about what setting I'd want to see "next" and ultimately I think I want to see all of them. After some deliberation, I've discovered that I have absolutely no objection to the idea of single-AP Toril-based excursions to other worlds. What is most important to me is that the multiversal connections be explored extensively, and that D&D truly becomes a multiversal setting in practice.

Curse of Strahd was a good start -- easing into the hot tub of multiversality. Next maybe we'll see a Descent Into the Depths of the Earth-inspired road trip through Sschindylryn's Gate. Then perhaps a journey from Undermountain Stardock to distant Sharn, featuring a mid-way battle with neogi slavers forcing a surprise crash landing on the Tablelands of Athas. Then a multiverse-righting romp up Selune's Infinite Staircase, taking us to Palanthas, Glantri City, and the Imperial City of Anuire.

As a scholar of multiversal interactions beyond the confines of Planescape I am very grateful for all the historical references to multiversal involvement on Toril -- I'm going to go look all of them up. But just to reiterate, what I found interesting about Death Masks was the question of why Mordenkainen specifically, in this role, at this time.

My surprise and interest were not piqued because of the revelation that Toril and Greyhawk share a reality. The 5th Edition DMG makes it abundantly clear that is more canon than it has ever been before, even if we ignore the fact that there was a whole campaign setting published in AD&D2 centered on that concept.

In any case, flametitan has answered my question completely and satisfactorily.

 

[gyor]

You know as strange as this sounds I think Morkedien was a hint that Volo's Guide to Monsters might references to creatures from other D&D settings, because maybe Volo interviewed him. Just a theory based on the fact that the multiverse is mentioned in relation to the races section.

 

[Patrick McGill]

Greyhawk could be awesome if done -correctly-. To differentiate itself from the Realms, it needs to get downright Sword and Sorcery and pulpy. A lot more shades of gray in morality, a lot more adventures based on glory and profit instead of good vs. evil, and a lot more hot shirtless barbarians with broadswords cleaving the skulls of eldritch warlocks.

If, however, they treat it more like 3es treatment of Greyhawk then I've got no buy in at all.

Man oh man I would LOVE a Greyhawk city based module.

 

[Shasarak]

I am currently playing in a long campaign set in Greyhawk and I have not seen anything there that would look out of place in Forgotten Realms. We went to Greyhawk City and met Mordenkainen and now Forgotten Realms even has him too!

 

[Caliburn101]

Greyhawk is considerably darker than the Forgotten Realms. The Tomb of Horrors, Vecna, Temple of Elemental Evil, Tharizdun (aka a mythos style-god), soul devouring weapons, The Underdark, cataclysms that destroyed entire empires like nuclear war, The Demonomicon of Iggwilv... it invented and first hosted all of that, not to mention that the most powerful group of Wizards seek to keep the balance, not fight solely for good.

Forgotten Realms is pulpy and fluffy by comparison, and massively plagiarised from Greyhawk.

 

[Caliburn101]

There have been various signs of a return to Oerth in the past two years from WoTC - it's not an 'if' as much as a when and how...

 

[gyor]

Greyhawk is considerably darker than the Forgotten Realms. The Tomb of Horrors, Vecna, Temple of Elemental Evil, Tharizdun (aka a mythos style-god), soul devouring weapons, The Underdark, cataclysms that destroyed entire empires like nuclear war, The Demonomicon of Iggwilv... it invented and first hosted all of that, not to mention that the most powerful group of Wizards seek to keep the balance, not fight solely for good.

Forgotten Realms is pulpy and fluffy by comparison, and massively plagiarised from Greyhawk.

Many parts of FR are very dark, but yes other parts that are much more hopeful.

I wouldn't say plagerized, that's not fair, but I will say FR tends to well eat other settings. Kara Tur, Al Qadim, Abeir, Mazitica, Moonshaes, the Cold Lands, elements from various settings as well, Eberron Shifters, Nentir Vale Tieflings, Incarnated Devas, Primordials, Thrikreen from Athas, ect...

Its just higher up the food chain the other settings so it sees them as food.

 

[Shasarak]

Greyhawk is considerably darker than the Forgotten Realms. The Tomb of Horrors, Vecna, Temple of Elemental Evil, Tharizdun (aka a mythos style-god), soul devouring weapons, The Underdark, cataclysms that destroyed entire empires like nuclear war, The Demonomicon of Iggwilv... it invented and first hosted all of that, not to mention that the most powerful group of Wizards seek to keep the balance, not fight solely for good.

I dont know, is Greyhawk Underdark more evil then FR Underdark? Were the cataclysms that destroyed GH more dark then the ones the destroyed FR? Is Vecna more evil then Szass Tam?

Forgotten Realms is pulpy and fluffy by comparison, and massively plagiarised from Greyhawk.

You can not just blatantly steal from Tolkien and then complain that someone else stole from you.

Well I guess you can but FR did exist before GH and Gary and Ed were probably reading much the same novels as well.