D&D (2024) Check Out The New Dungeon Master's Guide's Greyhawk Map

Greyhawk is the 'sample setting' provided in the 2024 Dungeon Master's Guide, and it is illustrated with a massive hex map by the awesome Mike Schley.

 

[Keldryn]

Which I can understand but not sure a complete overhaul for 576 CY was really needed. At that time period Greyhawk was human centric.

If they wanted to add the new races bring in them in the 600s due to portals, migration, etc.

I don't think there would be any real benefit to advancing the timeline and explaining where all of the "new" races came from. It would have no meaning to the majority of players today.

The only circumstance in which I can see it mattering at all is for players in a long-running Greyhawk campaign that 1) incorporates all of the events in From the Ashes and the Living Greyhawk stuff, 2) will be converting to the 2024 rules, and 3) hasn't already figured out how to deal with it for 5e 2014. And I suspect the number of such campaigns in existence is likely approaching 0.

Think of it not so much as resetting back to its original baseline time period, but re-imagining the setting for the new edition of the game. It doesn't need to explain "new" races or classes, because they've always been there. Let the players' actions write the history of this era, instead of reading all about the Greyhawk Wars.

A streamlined, re-imagined Greyhawk is far more approachable and useful for newer players. And even for older players who are familiar with Greyhawk; if you're starting a new campaign anyway, what difference does it make if 2024 Greyhawk isn't exactly the same as 1983 Greyhawk down to the last detail? Anybody who really cares about incorporating the post Greyhawk Wars history and explaining where on Oerth tieflings could have possibly come from is free to do so.

IMO this is how all classic settings should be handled for a new edition of D&D. Go back to the setting as originally presented and re-imagine it for the current rules set. Maybe keep a few of the cool things that were added over the years, but get rid of most of the accumulated cruft. Update certain aspects of the setting to better fit modern sensibilities. I would love to see a new Forgotten Realms "grey box" 1357 DR setting done like this. Eberron got it right (as did Dark Sun 4e).

 

[Parmandur]

Is the answer something found in the 1e Greyhawk Gazeteer?

No, thT is all stuff from 2E when metaplot cane to Greyhawk.

This presentation is completely rolling back the metaplot.

 

[Keldryn]

No, thT is all stuff from 2E when metaplot cane to Greyhawk.

This presentation is completely rolling back the metaplot.

I think the only settings that didn't have any metaplot in 2e were the ones that didn't last long enough!

 

[Cordwainer Fish]

I think the only settings that didn't have any metaplot in 2e were the ones that didn't last long enough!

The only thing worse than not having a metaplot is having a metaplot. Ask any long time Traveller player.

 

[Parmandur]

I think the only settings that didn't have any metaplot in 2e were the ones that didn't last long enough!

True! But it is nice to see a solid reset there.

 

[Shiroiken]

Things I can’t remember: did the Knights of the Holy Shielding lose their territory in Greyhawk Wars or was that my home brew? In my game they became mercenaries and bankers but I’m like 95% sure that was my own idea.

The Knights of Holy Shielding lost about 80% of their land to the Greyhawk Wars. As of the Living Greyhawk Gazetteer, they had reclaimed most/all of their lost territory. I believe the Crusade was done in late 2E, but I don't know the specifics.

 

[Staffan]

IMO this is how all classic settings should be handled for a new edition of D&D. Go back to the setting as originally presented and re-imagine it for the current rules set. Maybe keep a few of the cool things that were added over the years, but get rid of most of the accumulated cruft. Update certain aspects of the setting to better fit modern sensibilities. I would love to see a new Forgotten Realms "grey box" 1357 DR setting done like this. Eberron got it right (as did Dark Sun 4e).

Agreed, though I think one should consider the nature of the setting when deciding on specifics. For example, both Greyhawk and Forgotten Realms have always been "kitchen sink" settings, designed to incorporate more or less everything that's in the game. The only reason Forgotten Realms has more of the new stuff is that it was being actively supported when that new stuff came along whereas Greyhawk wasn't. Same thing with Eberron, though there it would be good to provide an Eberronian twist to things much like everything else there is a little different.

Other settings are designed to provide a more curated experience, ranging a bit from the baseline. This can range from something slightly different like Dragonlance (which I believe doesn't have orcs, for example) to something wildly different like Dark Sun. Dark Sun, in particular, is strongly defined by the things that aren't there – like gnomes, or goblins, or gods, or even things that don't begin with G. I'm not saying "don't add things to Dark Sun ever", just that one should be careful when doing so. I believe 4e used dragonborn to represent dray, for example – that's a fairly reasonable thing to do. But it was a pretty big part of Dark Sun's history that many of the species that are around in other D&D settings were exterminated, and if other species were around the same thing would have happened to them.

 

[Saracenus]

Wow, I got sucked up in topic drift again. I just want to say, I am excited to see new maps for the World of Greyhawk and the City of Greyhawk. I am even more excited that I will be able to buy high rez versions from the artist! An amazing time for Greyhawk and I look forward to welcoming all the new folks that have a chance to fall in love with a setting I cut my teeth on.

 

[Parmandur]

Wow, I sucked up in topic drift again. I just want to say, I am excited to see new maps for the World of Greyhawk and the City of Greyhawk. I am even more excited that I will be able to buy high rez versions from the artist! An amazing time for Greyhawk and I look forward to welcoming all the new folks that have a chance to fall in love with a setting I cut my teeth on.

Yeah, I am intrigued to find out what this isometric view of the Free Coty will look like. Really looking forward to the text itself, though.

 

[Saracenus]

The only thing worse than not having a metaplot is having a metaplot. Ask any long time Traveller player.

I would feel your pain if I didn't die during character creation.