D&D General Greyhawk setting material

[Parmandur]

Maybe, but this adventure is set in their own Midgard setting.

True, but Wolkfgang Baur did a lot of the work on Ghosts of Saltmarsh, and it's not like you can't mix Greyhawk and Midgard easily enough.

 

[amethal]

So, here's a fun exercise: what sort of Module reprint sandboxes ala Ghosts of Saltmarsh are a good fit for Greyhaw/generic D&D?

I've got:

1.) All the Slavers stuff, the original modules plus any other Pomarji material over the yeares, with an expanded sandbox description of the region: maybe Patriots of Ulek?

2.) T1-4 with the surrounding countryside described in some detail: maybe throw in S4 and WG4 (for geography and level appropriateness) or City of Skulls (to get a Big Bad in there).

3.) N1 Against the Cult of the Reptile God & environs, which are not far from Saltmarsh as the crow flies: N1 is the only Mithril Seller on DMsGuild for pre-5E material, the single best-selling old module in PDF. I2 and I7 are nearby, as well, and Red Hand of Doom is in the same vicinity for Greyhawk purposes.

4.) Castle Maure would get a classic module and one of the best-regarded Dungeon Magazine adventures in one go.

5.) D series, mixed with Night Below (set in the Yeomanry and below if used for Greyhawk, physically right next to the D modules AND near Saltmarsh, and provides a low level "in" for the Underdark), maybe big Dungeon Underdark stuff like Kingdom of the Ghouls. Rules for Dungeonerring survival, maybe?

6.) Gates of Firestorm Peak?

7.) The L modules?

I'd be happy with all of that.

However, given a choice I'd rather see Gates of Firestorm peak re-done for Eberron.

 

[Urriak Uruk]

Maybe they know something that we don't.

Beyond them knowing that they won't be stepping on Wizard's toes by doing this, I wouldn't infer much more.

 

[Parmandur]

Beyond them knowing that they won't be stepping on Wizard's toes by doing this, I wouldn't infer much more.

Oh,what fun is that?

But seriously, it would fit the general pattern of what the third party companies working with WotC have done to make something complimentary to what WotC is doing (Goodman Games Isle of Dread definitely has Ghosts of Saltmarsh in mind, for instance).

 

[Urriak Uruk]

Oh,what fun is that?

But seriously, it would fit the general pattern of what the third party companies working with WotC have done to make something complimentary to what WotC is doing (Goodman Games Isle of Dread definitely has Ghosts of Saltmarsh in mind, for instance).

That is true... I'd imagine a third-party would try to time their product with the announcement of the main one though, so I don't think this specific kickstarter is related to an upcoming release.

I'd happily be wrong though.

 

[Parmandur]

That is true... I'd imagine a third-party would try to time their product with the announcement of the main one though, so I don't think this specific kickstarter is related to an upcoming release.

I'd happily be wrong though.

Isle of Dread came out way before Ghosts of Saltmarsh was announced, though looking at the book now it is super obvious they knew it was coming (see also, Ghosts of Saltmarsh giving Mystarra location advise for the material that fits right in the Goodman Games book).

Wolfgang Baur has to announce earlier to get funding to publish, WotC keeps their cards close to their chest, other than for business partners.

 

[Aaron L]

So, here's a fun exercise: what sort of Module reprint sandboxes ala Ghosts of Saltmarsh are a good fit for Greyhaw/generic D&D?

I've got:

1.) All the Slavers stuff, the original modules plus any other Pomarji material over the yeares, with an expanded sandbox description of the region: maybe Patriots of Ulek?

2.) T1-4 with the surrounding countryside described in some detail: maybe throw in S4 and WG4 (for geography and level appropriateness) or City of Skulls (to get a Big Bad in there).

3.) N1 Against the Cult of the Reptile God & environs, which are not far from Saltmarsh as the crow flies: N1 is the only Mithril Seller on DMsGuild for pre-5E material, the single best-selling old module in PDF. I2 and I7 are nearby, as well, and Red Hand of Doom is in the same vicinity for Greyhawk purposes.

4.) Castle Maure would get a classic module and one of the best-regarded Dungeon Magazine adventures in one go.

5.) D series, mixed with Night Below (set in the Yeomanry and below if used for Greyhawk, physically right next to the D modules AND near Saltmarsh, and provides a low level "in" for the Underdark), maybe big Dungeon Underdark stuff like Kingdom of the Ghouls. Rules for Dungeonerring survival, maybe?

6.) Gates of Firestorm Peak?

7.) The L modules?

I have to say that I would absolutely adore a 5E conversion of The Lost Caverns of Tsojcanth and The Forgotten Temple of Tharizdun. They could expand it into a whole campaign sized sandbox, including the nearby Gnome village and add details like other denizen creatures of the mountains. With the modern popularity of Cthulhu in pop culture at large, and the related increase in popularity of Tharizdun with contemporary D&D players, they could really go hog wild with everything and turn it into a full-blown Lovecraft-induced nightmare. Have the mountains around the Temple be full of twisted Lovecraftian aberrations that have been warped into tentacular alien abominations by the presence of Tharizdun's influence, Mad Cultists and insane Warlocks of the Great Old One Patron (Tharizdun) who have been subconsciously drawn to the proximity of Tharizdun's Black Cyst, and use the whole adventure book as a showcase for, and expansion of, the optional Sanity ability score and Madness rules from the Dungeon Master's Guide.

Plus it would all be very, very much Greyhawk-esque, showcasing the setting's inherent Weird Fiction themes, and, as I pointed out, it would attract even more attention because of the general popularity of the Cthulhu Mythos and Lovecraft among gamers (old and new) and the general public these days. They could have a bestiary section dedicated to 5E conversions of a lot of the old, weird 1st Edition monsters that haven't been done for 5E yet, add some totally new Lovecraft-inspired monsters, and even have an entire chapter devoted to Warlocks, adding plenty of new Warlock spells and Eldritch Invocations (since the Warlock Class in general is as much Lovecraftian as it is Faustian... the term Eldritch itself was an obscure archaism by the time of Lovecraft's life and he was able to rescue the word from obscurity through his use of it in his writing) and even adding new Patrons or expanded/alternate takes on the existing ones, with emphasis on the Great Old One. The 3rd party book Sandy Petersen's Cthulhu Mythos for 5th Edition has done very well from what I understand (and rightfully so; it is a truly excellent book) and a Lost Caverns/Forgotten Temple adventure setting book could almost serve as an official WotC answer to it. Just as Curse of Strahd served as essentually both a Ravenloft setting book as well as a guide to running Gothic horror campaigns, a combined Lost Caverns of Tsonjcanth/ Forgotten Temple of Tharizdun setting book could serve as a guide to running Lovecraftian Cosmic Horror- inspired campaigns, as well as being a Greyhawk book. Which is only fitting, seeing as how Lovecraft was cited in Appendix N of the 1st Edition DMG as being among the primary inspirations for D&D.

Plus, I must admit that a book like this, as a mix of Greyhawk and Lovecraft, would be an absolute dream come true for me, personally.

 

[Aaron L]

• the drowic underworld done right!

I'd pay a lot for that!

There has been so damn much Forgotten Realms Drow lore written over the decades but virtually nothing written for the original Drow city of Erelhei-Cinlu (named after Gary's kids, which I know that you're well aware of, grodog) and they could so so much rad stuff with it. Just pick up on the original ideas from GDQ and run with them... a factious city of Drow Noble Houses locked in eternal intrigue and covert war. A Greyhawk book and a Drow book... what is there to lose?

And they could also use it to break the Drow from the "Lolth and Lolth Alone" mindset that writers have locked them into for far too long, and instead get them back to their origins where different Drow Houses each worshiped different Demon Lords, with Lolth just being the dominant one out of many. I'd love to see a 5E Eclavdra! (They could even revisit the original Drow Defector From Decadance who was introduced long before Drizzt, a Drow male being tortured way back in GDQ as a "Good Drow" who was actually just Chaotic Neutral.)

I've always thought a Drow House dedicate to Graz'zt was so obvious that an explanation why really shouldn't even be necessary... with his obsidian skin, weird beauty, and twisted sexual themes being such a perfect fit for the Drow that I was always almost certain that Graz'zt was created by Gygax specifically to be a patron for male Drow worship, as a symbol of male empowerment and freedom from female dominance (as well as being an object of a substantial minority of female Drow worship for... other reasons.) Graz'zt's name even sounds absolutely Drowic! He would make an absolutely perfect Demonic patron for Drow males who refused to bow down to Lolth's dominance.

(Hmmmm... dammit, now I really want to make a Drow Pact of the Blade Warlock with the Fiend (Graz'zt) Patron!)

 

[LuisCarlos17f]

The drows of GH could be enoughly different. They could be an undeground civilitation rule by the evil guys (and dominatrix look), but not all their members are like this. Something like a dictatorship but the tyrants are evil, but the ordinary people more innocent. Lolth and company had got the power, but not true loyalty by the masses. And no empire can survive betrayers. And other "evil" races would be slave soldiers, something like a mixture of Rome and the Otoman empire (with skrulls among the sultan's concubines). The drow pantheon should face other mance, the binders and their pact magic with the vestiges, some of theses dead gods, even fallen enemies with wish to take revegeance.

 

[Hussar]

I owned Forgotten Temple back in the day, and I remember it as an absolutely awful module. One big fight and then nothing but mopping up. The pacing was atrocious. But, then again, that might just be my memory playing tricks.

I'm not sure that focusing on Drow would be a good way to go. I think that Forgotten Realms have pretty much sucked that idea dry. Even the idea of redoing the old GH Drow city isn't really going to distinguish it too much from FR. Yes, I KNOW there are differences, but, I'm not sure if the perception of those differences would be enough. It's an underground city matriarchy led by dominatrix dark elves. That's an idea that really has been beaten to death.

I'd suggest that focusing on stuff that you don't see in FR might be a better way to go. The Paizo Dungeon adventures - Seeds of Sehan for example - with its body horror, use of somewhat more esoteric monsters (yak folk monks?) might be a better direction. Play to GH's strengths rather than try to directly compete.