D&D 5E Greyhawk: Why We Need Mo' Oerth by 2024

[Synthil]

Not really. The Forgotten Realms lore sucks. It is incoherent, you could earn a history degree in the time required to learn it all and it totally breaks versimilitude. Sometimes less is more.

 

[FallenRX]

I'd actually rather they make it a flexible campaign setting that gives players the tools to do what they want with it. A simple template for it to evolve into a half homebrew setting for its players, like they did with Ravenloft.
The reason why i think this is the best approach is because it goes back to the very roots of the Campaign setting from the 70s, thats how Gygax designed it, a unfinished portrait that the players/adventure writers fill in the details

 

[Oofta]

One of the reasons I'd like to see a new Greyhawk book is because it could open up the DmsGuild to some interesting ideas. It's been rattling around for a long time, I'm sure there are authors out there who have some pretty cool ideas.

The other is simply to have a decent D&D fantasy world that could be inspired by Greyhawk but have some actual thought put into it for the parts they do fill in. Then give the DM broad outlines and suggestions, rumors that may or may not be true as inspiration.

 

[Plaguescarred]

I fear that if WoTC doesn't find GREYHAWK is worth releasing for D&D's 50th annivesary, it never will again.

 

[Orius]

One of Greyhawk's main problem is that it failed to achieve any significant traction beyond a core group of fans back in the early 80's. Yeah, I'm sure there are people who came to Greyhawk later, but not enough to really make a difference. And as I've said before, that original core group of fans can be hard to please and TSR managed to damage the brand, perhaps irreparably, right after Gary's departure. From the Ashes had a decidedly mixed reception as did WotC's attempt to revive the setting. Erik Mona's work was better received, but it probably helped that he's a Greyhawk fan himself and understands what the fanbase likes.

It doesn't really help that Greyhawk and the Realms are both very similar. The differences tend to heavily overstated. To me the biggest difference is that Greyhawk was designed to be used in an early wargaming/roleplaying hybrid campaign while the Realms seems to be strongly influenced by the game's literary influences. Even then, these are still minor differences really. I've been playing nearly 30 years, and I've never used either setting for a campaign. I can tell the difference between the two, but even then they're still both vanilla settings to me. To a new player, there isn't really much to distinguish the two. It's kind of a shame because I think Greyhawk's overall flavor is a little better than the Realms.

 

[This Effin’ GM]

I’m right now running all three of the 3.5 “totally not greyhawk but absolutely greyhawk” games and I would love to see a new setting guide

 

[Parmandur]

One of Greyhawk's main problem is that it failed to achieve any significant traction beyond a core group of fans back in the early 80's. Yeah, I'm sure there are people who came to Greyhawk later, but not enough to really make a difference. And as I've said before, that original core group of fans can be hard to please and TSR managed to damage the brand, perhaps irreparably, right after Gary's departure. From the Ashes had a decidedly mixed reception as did WotC's attempt to revive the setting. Erik Mona's work was better received, but it probably helped that he's a Greyhawk fan himself and understands what the fanbase likes.

It doesn't really help that Greyhawk and the Realms are both very similar. The differences tend to heavily overstated. To me the biggest difference is that Greyhawk was designed to be used in an early wargaming/roleplaying hybrid campaign while the Realms seems to be strongly influenced by the game's literary influences. Even then, these are still minor differences really. I've been playing nearly 30 years, and I've never used either setting for a campaign. I can tell the difference between the two, but even then they're still both vanilla settings to me. To a new player, there isn't really much to distinguish the two. It's kind of a shame because I think Greyhawk's overall flavor is a little better than the Realms.

Hey, I became a Greyhawk fan inn3E. It not that unusual, even.

 

[Helldritch]

Strange, 3.xed books on Greyhawk were ok in my books but failed to bring excitement to the franchise exactly because they did not inovate on the setting. The FR has always had a bit more than what was expected. From the Ashes boxed set (and the whole gamut of product around it) brought a nice twist to the world and I do hope that if WoTC brings a new Greyhawk, that they will not content themselves with a simple reprint of what has been happening but with good stuff to elaborate on.

 

[TwiceBorn2]

The Living Greyhawk Gazetteer remains one of my all-time favourite D&D setting books, second only perhaps to FFG's 3.5 version of Midnight. Yes, the art in the LGG left much to be desired, but I think the book struck the right balance between providing a lot of interesting lore (that increased the coherence/accessibility of the setting), without providing too much lore. I say that even though I prefer the feel of Sargents's From the Ashes era... I feel that I can easily do a pre- or post-war campaign with the LGG.

Is that an imperative for unveiling new GH content in 2024? No.

But I would be happy with an updated setting book that took its cue from the LGG in terms of content, while exploring new conflicts/directions. They can even keep it mostly edition/stat free, as they did with the LGG and, to a lesser extent, Van Richten's Guide to Ravenloft (which did not stat up any of the Darklords, to the chagrin of some and delight of others).

And even though I'm not a big fan of gonzo dungeons and mega dungeons, if WotC actually worked out an agreement with Gail Gygax to release a product based on Gary's (and Rob Kuntz's) original notes for Castle Greyhawk, I think that would be a worthy 50th anniversary 'gift' to the fans... so let's add that to the GH slipcase edition (or boxed set). That said, I'm not particularly optimistic that we'll see the definitive Castle Greyhawk as a 50th anniversary product. More likely, in my opinion, is an updated/revised D1-2/Q1 (with or without G1-3). It's worth noting that both Castle Greyhawk and the GDQ series can easily be ported into any setting. I mean, Drow (and giants) are evergreen, aren't they?

Might also explain some of the giant-oriented UAs we've been getting lately. But I'm probably just grasping at straws.

 

[Orius]

Hey, I became a Greyhawk fan inn3E. It not that unusual, even.

I figured WotC's attempts must have brought some fresh blood to the fandom, but I think Realms still had the overall advantage.