Player facing options are tricky for Greyhawk, since most likely the campaign would be best by limiting options, rather than introducing new ones. Demonic and Daemonic based tiefling options would be pretty cool, even though I'm not generally a fan of tieflings. A gestalt style multiclass option would be nice, fitting into the original AD&D multiclass setup. Rules for running a stronghold is more DM facing, but still something players might be interested in.
D&D 5E Greyhawk: Player Options for a Campaign Setting
Maxperson
Morkus from Orkus
The Lost Caverns are still one of my all time favorite modules. I'd love to see that happen.
Snarf Zagyg
Notorious Liquefactionist
So ... while I agree with this in principle (re: limiting options), I have really evolved on this in practice.
Players today don't want their options limited. They just ... don't. So instead of trying (and, IMO, probably failing) to make that a selling point of the setting, I would probably have a sidebar, or a page, explaining what options are common, what are rare, and what would be "one-offs" (options that would be remarkable, or 'gated in' from other planes, etc.).
I actually am amused/intrigued by your idea of having reworked classes or subclasses that make the current classes "feel" more like their older counterparts. That can be one way to limit options actually - the one way to limit options in a campaign that generally works is when the whole table buys into the premise that playing in that limited space is something they want to do.
So, I find the beginning and end to be in conflict. If there's no need to color within the lines, and id D&D MY way... why do I need/want a published setting - which is a set of lines to color within, and someone else's way?
I think this conflict is natural for Greyhawk, as the game has developed and changed considerably since the setting first appeared. But it does seem really strange to consider publishing a modern campaign setting when the modern forms run against the original approach to the setting.
Yaarel
He Mage
Things that I like from the Greyhawk setting:
Backgrounds!
Different cultures did weird stuff. Now in 5e, these are backgrounds. Backgrounds grant relevant skills, but they also grant what I call a "noncombat special asset". The asset can be anything, including magical abilities, like knowing certain spells or rituals, crafting a certain kind of magic item, or doing some nonspell magical effect. Some backgrounds are magical backgrounds. Now, it seems, backgrounds can even correlate with a powerful feat.
Backgrounds can be peculiar to a specific culture. The choice of a background grants a personal connection to that culture and even a role within that culture.
In the Greyhawk setting, elves divide into many cultures.
Eladrin cultural backgrounds: Faerie culture, Grey culture, and Valley culture.
Translating into 5e, the 1e MM grey elf with faerie elf are something like the Eladrin splitting up into a Faerie culture of Wizards in the fey plane versus a Grey culture of Eldritch Knights in the material plane. Little is mentioned about the Faerie, except they are powerful Wizards of keen intellects. Perhaps they are the same as the 5e eladrin with its seasonal fey culture, but emphasizing fey universities of magic, arcane sciences, and sacred Bards heading bardic colleges? The Grey are a military culture specializing in magical warrior with central institutions of Bladesinger Wizards and Eldritch Knights. Grey Eladrin raise griffons! Imagine 5e Eldritch Knights riding flying griffon mounts. There has to be a way that a background allow player characters to do this, in a balanced way, even at level 1. A character with this Grey cultural background grew up with griffons. Some raise hippogriffs, magically hybriding the griffon with horses for speed. Likewise, there can be a background specializing in making the famous elven mithril chainmail. (In my games, the "elven chain" is actually an always-on Arcane Armor spell-like ability, that traditionally appears as if a silky fine chain mesh, but can appear as any form of armor or clothing or aura of light, whatever the its wearer wishes.) The elven chain background can grant this special use of the Arcane Armor, perhaps even allow a teammate to enjoy elven chain temporarily. An other background might relate to making special longswords that agily allow finesse to benefit from Dexterity, and a different background that can make a magical longsword that as part of a cantrip can substitute the casting ability instead of Strength. The Valley Eladrin are a political culture relating to the Valley of the Mage and its magocracy. Gnomes are also part of this culture. The Valley nationals resemble the Grey culture, but ride horses − one background − rather than griffons, and often have the cooshee fairy dog as a magical pet − an other background.
Drow cultural backgrounds: Aeven culture and Uda culture.
In my eyes, the Drow description in the 1e MM is who we now call Aevendrow, of the Aeven culture. They are a culture of Wizards, who enjoy magical luxuries. A background can include magical tailor, using cantrips to fashion clothes, and weaving magic items. Another is a food server of impossibly delicious magical foods. The Lolth Drow from the Gygax dungeon modules and the Fiend Folio are the Uda culture, of course, with many backgrounds ranging from a maker of sleep poison, to a raiser of giant spiders. A player character should know how to make and use sleep poison.
Wood cultural backgrounds: Sylvan culture and Grugach culture.
The Sylvan elves tend to value and make prominent the Fighters and Rangers, who celebrate spear and bow. There can Sylvan background to have a lynx pet! An other background can raise giant owls. An other Sylvan background can speak with animals, and make sure there is a mutually constructive arrangement between the Sylvan community and the various animal communities. Meanwhile, the Grugach cultures are nomadic, traveling in extended families within the remote forest wildernesses. They especially revere the sacred traditions of their Druids, a background, that shuns arcane magic traditions. The culture values extreme Strength as well as gymnastic stunts across tree limbs. Fighters, Rangers, Barbarians, and similar specialists in physical prowess enjoy high esteem. A family warrior is a background. A trapper is a background, making snares and other traps that are difficult to detect. They ride deer as their mounts, an other background.
High cultural background: various cultures.
The High elves tend to be the most well-known. High elves often become units in the governments of other races. High culture is known for infusing human warrior traditions with elven magic: Fighter/Cleric − whence for 5e Paladin orders as backgrounds − Fighter/Wizard as Eldritch Knight and its military orders as backgrounds. Blends of Cleric and Wizard are of interest too, including the Arcane Cleric domain, where Corellon is an elven ancestor who promotes magical arts as a sacred tradition. Indigenous High elf communities tend to be in treehouse towns made from living trees. A background can shape living wood, to construct High elf homes. The indigenous communities form friendships with giant eagles, an other background. High elf traditions transmit methods of invisibility for magical stealth. But also the dexterous Stealth of the Rogue is welcome, and perhaps especially the Arcane Trickster. These Rogues are rarely criminal, but venture off on various covert operations.
And so on. These are the elves of the Greyhawk setting. Other races have their own weird and wonderful idiosyncrasies. Each human culture has its own traditions and specializations.
The character design space of a "background", can bring the Greyhawk setting to life.
Backgrounds!
Different cultures did weird stuff. Now in 5e, these are backgrounds. Backgrounds grant relevant skills, but they also grant what I call a "noncombat special asset". The asset can be anything, including magical abilities, like knowing certain spells or rituals, crafting a certain kind of magic item, or doing some nonspell magical effect. Some backgrounds are magical backgrounds. Now, it seems, backgrounds can even correlate with a powerful feat.
Backgrounds can be peculiar to a specific culture. The choice of a background grants a personal connection to that culture and even a role within that culture.
In the Greyhawk setting, elves divide into many cultures.
Eladrin cultural backgrounds: Faerie culture, Grey culture, and Valley culture.
Translating into 5e, the 1e MM grey elf with faerie elf are something like the Eladrin splitting up into a Faerie culture of Wizards in the fey plane versus a Grey culture of Eldritch Knights in the material plane. Little is mentioned about the Faerie, except they are powerful Wizards of keen intellects. Perhaps they are the same as the 5e eladrin with its seasonal fey culture, but emphasizing fey universities of magic, arcane sciences, and sacred Bards heading bardic colleges? The Grey are a military culture specializing in magical warrior with central institutions of Bladesinger Wizards and Eldritch Knights. Grey Eladrin raise griffons! Imagine 5e Eldritch Knights riding flying griffon mounts. There has to be a way that a background allow player characters to do this, in a balanced way, even at level 1. A character with this Grey cultural background grew up with griffons. Some raise hippogriffs, magically hybriding the griffon with horses for speed. Likewise, there can be a background specializing in making the famous elven mithril chainmail. (In my games, the "elven chain" is actually an always-on Arcane Armor spell-like ability, that traditionally appears as if a silky fine chain mesh, but can appear as any form of armor or clothing or aura of light, whatever the its wearer wishes.) The elven chain background can grant this special use of the Arcane Armor, perhaps even allow a teammate to enjoy elven chain temporarily. An other background might relate to making special longswords that agily allow finesse to benefit from Dexterity, and a different background that can make a magical longsword that as part of a cantrip can substitute the casting ability instead of Strength. The Valley Eladrin are a political culture relating to the Valley of the Mage and its magocracy. Gnomes are also part of this culture. The Valley nationals resemble the Grey culture, but ride horses − one background − rather than griffons, and often have the cooshee fairy dog as a magical pet − an other background.
Drow cultural backgrounds: Aeven culture and Uda culture.
In my eyes, the Drow description in the 1e MM is who we now call Aevendrow, of the Aeven culture. They are a culture of Wizards, who enjoy magical luxuries. A background can include magical tailor, using cantrips to fashion clothes, and weaving magic items. Another is a food server of impossibly delicious magical foods. The Lolth Drow from the Gygax dungeon modules and the Fiend Folio are the Uda culture, of course, with many backgrounds ranging from a maker of sleep poison, to a raiser of giant spiders. A player character should know how to make and use sleep poison.
Wood cultural backgrounds: Sylvan culture and Grugach culture.
The Sylvan elves tend to value and make prominent the Fighters and Rangers, who celebrate spear and bow. There can Sylvan background to have a lynx pet! An other background can raise giant owls. An other Sylvan background can speak with animals, and make sure there is a mutually constructive arrangement between the Sylvan community and the various animal communities. Meanwhile, the Grugach cultures are nomadic, traveling in extended families within the remote forest wildernesses. They especially revere the sacred traditions of their Druids, a background, that shuns arcane magic traditions. The culture values extreme Strength as well as gymnastic stunts across tree limbs. Fighters, Rangers, Barbarians, and similar specialists in physical prowess enjoy high esteem. A family warrior is a background. A trapper is a background, making snares and other traps that are difficult to detect. They ride deer as their mounts, an other background.
High cultural background: various cultures.
The High elves tend to be the most well-known. High elves often become units in the governments of other races. High culture is known for infusing human warrior traditions with elven magic: Fighter/Cleric − whence for 5e Paladin orders as backgrounds − Fighter/Wizard as Eldritch Knight and its military orders as backgrounds. Blends of Cleric and Wizard are of interest too, including the Arcane Cleric domain, where Corellon is an elven ancestor who promotes magical arts as a sacred tradition. Indigenous High elf communities tend to be in treehouse towns made from living trees. A background can shape living wood, to construct High elf homes. The indigenous communities form friendships with giant eagles, an other background. High elf traditions transmit methods of invisibility for magical stealth. But also the dexterous Stealth of the Rogue is welcome, and perhaps especially the Arcane Trickster. These Rogues are rarely criminal, but venture off on various covert operations.
And so on. These are the elves of the Greyhawk setting. Other races have their own weird and wonderful idiosyncrasies. Each human culture has its own traditions and specializations.
The character design space of a "background", can bring the Greyhawk setting to life.
Snarf Zagyg
Notorious Liquefactionist
there's a special place in hell designed for people that make me give a thumbs-up to an elf post.
Micah Sweet
Level Up & OSR Enthusiast
"Brown-Eyed Ghoul" was also memorable.
Micah Sweet
Level Up & OSR Enthusiast
Yeah, you can't hard-block options in 5e anymore.
Micah Sweet
Level Up & OSR Enthusiast
If they would just release Greyhawk to the DMsguild, I'm sure someone would figure it out.
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