Greyhawk Oddities

[JoeGKushner]

So looking through some of my GH stuff in case the players want to move past the old Shackled City.

Some of the stuff I had completely forgotten about...

Philidor the blue wizard. At 25th level, wtf is he and why is he in Greyhawk? I mean, wasn't the Circle of Eight enough? Did Elminster get stonned one day and clone himself blue and sent it to GH to screw with 'em?

Keelean: I could've swore that the Prince of Swords was now a demi-god, but I can't remember the reference I saw it in.

Zudoken: The deity from the Expanded Psionic's Handbook in the Greyhawk book. Now was that around before the Psionic's Handbook, or before?

Anyone else got some weird bits or stuff they've got questions on? It's been a while since I've read my Greyhawk stuff and it's kinda nice to be back to the basics in terms of where the setting is.

One thing I may have the players do on a quick side mission is some stuff in the Sea of Dust which isn't that far from Cauldron. Well, it's closer than Greyhawk anyway...

 

[WizarDru]

Philidor the blue wizard. At 25th level, wtf is he and why is he in Greyhawk? I mean, wasn't the Circle of Eight enough? Did Elminster get stonned one day and clone himself blue and sent it to GH to screw with 'em?

Do you mean why is he in the setting or in the city itself? Philidor was added in the From the Ashes box-set, and I think shows up in the Marklands. He's not a popular character, iirc. Mord used to be lower-level, but shot up with the release of the ELH. Being 25th level is powerful, but not insanely so...especially with people like Iuz, Ivid the Undying, Acererak and Vecna hanging about.

Keelean: I could've swore that the Prince of Swords was now a demi-god, but I can't remember the reference I saw it in.

Yes, Kelanen is a hero-god (which makes him DR0, presumably), as of LGJ #3.

Zudoken: The deity from the Expanded Psionic's Handbook in the Greyhawk book. Now was that around before the Psionic's Handbook, or before?

Zuoken was in the LGG...I'm not sure if he predates it, but I'd assume he did. He's the Baklunish god of physical and mental mastery, True Neutral. Often appeals to Monks and Psions, for different sides of the same coin.

 

[William Ronald]

Zuoken was in the LGG...I'm not sure if he predates it, but I'd assume he did. He's the Baklunish god of physical and mental mastery, True Neutral. Often appeals to Monks and Psions, for different sides of the same coin.

I seem to recall Zuoken predating the LGG, and I think the Oerth Journal had an article on him. It might be wise to check Canonfire . Grodog, who has far more Greyhawk information than I.

WizardDru, don't forget Iggwilv, Iuz's mother, who is a very powerful spellcaster in her own right. Last time I checked, the Flanaess did not have a shortage of powerful evil forces. (The Scarlet Brotherhood may or may not have any epic level members, but they are very well organized.)

 

[JoeGKushner]

Do you mean why is he in the setting or in the city itself? Philidor was added in the From the Ashes box-set, and I think shows up in the Marklands. He's not a popular character, iirc. Mord used to be lower-level, but shot up with the release of the ELH. Being 25th level is powerful, but not insanely so...especially with people like Iuz, Ivid the Undying, Acererak and Vecna hanging about.

Yet pretty much all those things were around before Phildor came in. He just seems unnecessary as another "Here's a character to keep the players in line!" style bit. Perhaps when Mory wasn't so powerful he had some purpose but now?

Yes, Kelanen is a hero-god (which makes him DR0, presumably), as of LGJ #3.

Thanks. I'll have to see if I can find those. One of the only reasons I keep my subscription to Polyhedron going I tell ya! Do you recall how much info was on Kelanen in that article? For some reason, he's one of the few quasi-deities I remember and thinking, "Man, why isn't there a novel talking about his ascent and how he got that scar!"

Zuoken was in the LGG...I'm not sure if he predates it, but I'd assume he did. He's the Baklunish god of physical and mental mastery, True Neutral. Often appeals to Monks and Psions, for different sides of the same coin.

Hmmm.... a Baklunish god eh? One of the player's that worships him is Suel. I'll have to add that information and see if he's still interested in following that god and Kord... Be interesting what the feedback is.

 

[Grover Cleaveland]

Philidor the blue wizard. At 25th level, wtf is he and why is he in Greyhawk? I mean, wasn't the Circle of Eight enough?

He was intended to be something of an enigma. He's one of a large number of mysteries Carl Sargent added to the Oerth simply because a world is better with more mysteries in it. The idea, as he explained it in Dragon Magazine, was that if a campaign has become oversaturated with the Circle of Eight and existing NPCs, here's another one with a different feel to pull your campaign in a fresh direction. If you read Ivid the Undying, there are some very intriguing hints and references to him.

Keelean: I could've swore that the Prince of Swords was now a demi-god, but I can't remember the reference I saw it in.

Kelanen's a hero-deity, which is equivalent to Divine Rank 1 or so. 3e sources will often call him a demigod if they want to be precise, or a hero-god if they're Greyhawk-specific references harkening back to the old ranking system.

Zudoken: The deity from the Expanded Psionic's Handbook in the Greyhawk book. Now was that around before the Psionic's Handbook, or before?

Zuoken was certainly around long before the Expanded Psionics Handbook! He was mentioned in the 1983 World of Greyhawk boxed set, and got a full write-up in the Living Greyhawk Gazetteer. He was, according to the Gazetteer, one of the nine demigods imprisoned beneath Castle Greyhawk by Zagig Yragerne.

 

[the Jester]

Zuoken was certainly around long before the Expanded Psionics Handbook! He was mentioned in the 1983 World of Greyhawk boxed set, and got a full write-up in the Living Greyhawk Gazetteer. He was, according to the Gazetteer, one of the nine demigods imprisoned beneath Castle Greyhawk by Zagig Yragerne.

Ah, curses, someone beat me to it.

I've always thought that Zuoken was a cool god- way back in 1e I think I used a group of Zuoken monks at one point. Good stuff.

I've also always liked Xan Yae a lot.

 

[grodog]

Thanks. I'll have to see if I can find those. One of the only reasons I keep my subscription to Polyhedron going I tell ya! Do you recall how much info was on Kelanen in that article? For some reason, he's one of the few quasi-deities I remember and thinking, "Man, why isn't there a novel talking about his ascent and how he got that scar!"

There's about three paragraphs on Kelanen in LGJ#3, Joe. There's also some excellent fan-written stuff on Canonfire!.

 

[diaglo]

There's also some excellent fan-written stuff on Canonfire!.

Troll.


diaglo "grodog's not gonna provoke me" Ooi

 

[sad_genius]

Hmmm.... a Baklunish god eh? One of the player's that worships him is Suel. I'll have to add that information and see if he's still interested in following that god and Kord... Be interesting what the feedback is.

I may be wrong, but I believe both Zuoken, and his mistress Xan Yae are Sueloise gods.

-M-

 

[qstor]

He was intended to be something of an enigma. He's one of a large number of mysteries Carl Sargent added to the Oerth simply because a world is better with more mysteries in it. The idea, as he explained it in Dragon Magazine, was that if a campaign has become oversaturated with the Circle of Eight and existing NPCs, here's another one with a different feel to pull your campaign in a fresh direction. If you read Ivid the Undying, there are some very intriguing hints and references to him.

I believe he was added to serve as a balance to Iuz in the Vesve Forest. He might be extra planar since he has blue skin. I'm not sure there's an explanation to his origins anywhere.

Mike