D&D 5E Greyhawk: Pitching the Reboot

[Ralif Redhammer]

The two share a lot of content (I think the actual locale overview part is taken almost verbatim), but the boxed set expands upon the folio. The material in the Glossography book is almost entirely new to the boxed set.

How much detail is there in that original folio when compared to the Greyhawk boxed set?

But for the lack of gaming, that doesn't sound too bad! I've spent some time in the French countryside, and it was lovely (as was the Calvados).

It's all good. Besides, I have been isolated going on six years on a mountain in France in a very small hamlet and have no opportunity to game period, unless it is with my wife.

 

[Minigiant]

Like I said in the beginning of the discussion, there are mainly 3 levers in Magic:

1. Power
2. Frequency
3. Versatility

Oerth is only low in magic frequency. Only those with magic items and spells encounter magic on a predicable basis. Greyhawk is however high on Magic Power and Versatility. Those with a decent amount of magic can do a whole lot with it.

This makes Greyhawk a setting of contrasting worlds. A world of magic inside a world without. Like Vampire the Masquerade with none of the enforcement. Lifestyle feudalism. A world of powerful NPCs, fantastic races, and mythical monsters who do nothing but flower at each other and a world of common commoner who just live their lives. A clear foreground and many backgrounds.

Selling this alone is not easy as Greyhawk adds little. It most ran base D&D and relied heavily on the DM. So a rebooted Greyhawk would need to see what it could add by pulling out some DM responsibility for action to mechanize it

 

[Snarf Zagyg]

The two share a lot of content (I think the actual locale overview part is taken almost verbatim), but the boxed set expands upon the folio. The material in the Glossography book is almost entirely new to the boxed set.

The boxed set (usually called "WoG" for World of Greyhawk to differentiate it from the Folio ... or whatever) greatly add a lot of the fluff that EGG had published in Dragon in the intervening couple of years, quadrupling it in size from the original 32 pages.

But as you correctly note, the Folio had the Darlene map and the gazeteer. It's roughly the same as the first book in the WoG.

 

[Rob Kuntz]

@Ralif Redhammer At least we reside below a ruined castle, so it's not like I can't imagine adventure from my upper terrace! This shot is from its front; its backside is viewable from our abode in the hamlet.

 

[Urriak Uruk]

I know Joe and might well do that. There's a few options cooking. Not to thread-jack, so I'll do the short version: I have some offers I'm considering, but one would involve me setting aside for 6 months a novel that I'm currently sailing along on and that I'm contracted to complete.. El Raja Key is my baby and I'll finish it (flesh it) in 1E and not license it before that's done; it's a stickler, for sure, finding the time to wrap it. The fact is I have too much happening and one of these happenings will likely see me traveling back to the USA in the next 2 months and that's for something other than the novel. The old humorous saying that "I am busier than a one-armed paper hanger with an itch," applies here.

Well, I'm glad to read that you're busy! I'm pretty interested in seeing your future work in all its forms, so I wish you good luck!

I'm especially keen on your Journey to the City of Brass modules (I love the concept of an Efreeti City).

 

[Rob Kuntz]

Well, I'm glad to read that you're busy! I'm pretty interested in seeing your future work in all its forms, so I wish you good luck!

I'm especially keen on your Journey to the City of Brass modules (I love the concept of an Efreeti City).

Thanks! TLB Games (Paul Stormberg) ran my "into the City of Brass" (which follows and completes "Journey to the City of Brass" (RPGA 1987 DragonCon)) at the latest virtual GaryCon; they will both be offered soon enough through his site. Beware Rhomus! Probably the most bizarre and dangerous "creature" I've ever created, until tomorrow, of course.

 

[jmartkdr2]

Like I said in the beginning of the discussion, there are mainly 3 levers in Magic:

1. Power
2. Frequency
3. Versatility

Oerth is only low in magic frequency. Only those with magic items and spells encounter magic on a predicable basis. Greyhawk is however high on Magic Power and Versatility. Those with a decent amount of magic can do a whole lot with it.

This makes Greyhawk a setting of contrasting worlds. A world of magic inside a world without. Like Vampire the Masquerade with none of the enforcement. Lifestyle feudalism. A world of powerful NPCs, fantastic races, and mythical monsters who do nothing but flower at each other and a world of common commoner who just live their lives. A clear foreground and many backgrounds.

Selling this alone is not easy as Greyhawk adds little. It most ran base D&D and relied heavily on the DM. So a rebooted Greyhawk would need to see what it could add by pulling out some DM responsibility for action to mechanize it

I'd add a fourth: how much the players can interact with magic. If the pc's are all magic users, even if they're literally the only ones in the world, the narrative will feature a lot of magic, because it's focusing on people with magic. If the pc's don't use magic, it'll feature very little magic unless magic is everywhere in the setting.

This, I think, will affect the feel of the game more than the worldbuilding.

 

[MichaelSomething]

What bugs me is that they don't let people do Greyhawk stuff on the DM Guild...

 

[Snarf Zagyg]

What bugs me is that they don't let people do Greyhawk stuff on the DM Guild...

I think the best possible explanation is that they don't want the material on there until they've made their release.

But yes, it is incredibly frustrating.

 

[Helldritch]

I say:" Open the gates on DMGuild!!!!!!!!".