D&D (2024) GREYHAWKCONFIRMED! Reflections on Greyhawk in the DMG

[Snarf Zagyg]

Quoting the Rolling Stones? Sounds like something a bard would do. Just sayin'.

What? No.

I just think that it's poor form when someone writes about you to not acknowledge it.

 

[Oofta]

What? No.

I just think that it's poor form when someone writes about you to not acknowledge it.

The Snarf doth protest too much, methinks.

 

[Oofta]

I will agree, that the reason I liked Greyhawk was because you could make it your own. While I use my own custom world now, Greyhawk will always be remembered fondly in part because of Living Greyhawk where different regions of the U.S. were given a spot on the map to make it their own. It was a lot of fun, and the people running our region did some awesome things but I don't think it ever would have worked with Forgotten Realms. You can't walk a block in most of Faerun without bumping into an epic level NPC who really should be the one resolving the last world-ending-apocalyptic catastrophe that's about to occur because it's a Tuesday.

Give me a map, give me plot hooks and an outline, let me fill in the blanks. It certainly sounds like the DMG is going to use Greyhawk to talk about how to use it as a starting point for making your own world which I think is fantastic.

Maybe after I've had a long rest (which, to be honest nowadays could take several days) I'll go back and take a gander at the rest of the threads.

 

[Micah Sweet]

Yah you could say removing “See of…” from Medegia was a change, separating from a very real world faith that uses it.

I still don't understand why some people get so hung up about stuff like that. Everything comes from somewhere, and anything that makes a setting feel more real is worth consideration in my book.

 

[Micah Sweet]

If I had to guess, the reason is probably that "shibboleth" is a Hebrew word that was used as a password in the Tanakh/Old Testament and has become a byword for ways of secretly signaling oneself as a member of an in-group and/or excluding those who are not.

There's a scene from the West Wing that shows why it might be an issue pretty clearly, but in the interest of avoiding IRL political/religious discourse, I'll link to the Wikipedia article instead.

Shibboleth - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

Again, why is this such a problem?

 

[JEB]

There have been no WotC 5E publications whatsoever for Castle Maure, Ghost Tower of Iverness, the Temple of Elemental Evil (PotA was an homage, and the Goodman Games version is out of print) or most especially Cadtle Greyhawk.

So this particular set of 7 Dungeons is exceedingly strange.

Maybe it's a clue that rebooted 2024 5e versions of these dungeons are on the way in the near future.

 

[Parmandur]

Maybe it's a clue that rebooted 2024 5e versions of these dungeons are on the way in the near future.

Could be! Several possible explanations, but this strange all around.

I think that these Dungeons being related to the sample Adventures is the most parsimonious hypothesis, but we will find out shortly.

 

[JEB]

Some seem to be trying to use the name changes to "date" the map, and see if its being reset, or if its in the "current timeline."

This isn't a version of 1e or 2e or 3e Greyhawk, or some continuation thereof, but a new Greyhawk for a new edition. Finding the origins of these Easter eggs is certainly interesting, but folks shouldn't make the mistake of relying on them to tell you anything else about the 2024 5e version of Greyhawk. You only know what is given to you in the new DMG.

 

[Parmandur]

This isn't a version of 1e or 2e or 3e Greyhawk, or some continuation thereof, but a new Greyhawk for a new edition. Finding the origins of these Easter eggs is certainly interesting, but folks shouldn't make the mistake of relying on them to tell you anything else about the 2024 5e version of Greyhawk. You only know what is given to you in the new DMG.

Yet it clearly confirms to the original presentation of the Setting in many ways, and the Easyer Eggs on the map are some deep cuts. We can deduce quite a bit from this map, at least in broad strokes.

 

[Cruentus]

This isn't a version of 1e or 2e or 3e Greyhawk, or some continuation thereof, but a new Greyhawk for a new edition. Finding the origins of these Easter eggs is certainly interesting, but folks shouldn't make the mistake of relying on them to tell you anything else about the 2024 5e version of Greyhawk. You only know what is given to you in the new DMG.

That's my feeling about it too. I think this is going to be the 5e version of "How to make a world, using examples from Greyhawk", and that's about it. I don't think its going to be a setting, I don't think its going to continue or do anything with the lore (remember "the lore/canon is whatever we put in the 5e rulebooks", and there ain't a lot of Greyhawk).

In 32 pages in the upcoming DMG, they're likely saying "Here is an example of how to create a map." "Here are some ways you can incorporate a ruin or temple or whatever into your game." "Here is an example of creating a kingdom and what pieces are important to begin with." etc.

The only 2024 DnD I'm buying is the DMG, specifically for the map, as I don't play 5e anymore, but my OSE and Beyond the Wall games are set in Greyhawk.