D&D General Melf's Guide to Greyhawk Coming From Luke Gygax & WotC

[Remathilis]

Would it make sense for the Gritty Realism play style to make a comeback for Greyhawk? I do not recall it being in the 5.5 DMG. Am I misreading the vibe of the setting? What is the vibe exactly?

People have attributed Greyhawk as the "grim and gritty, sword and sorcery setting" despite the fact that it's really just kinda the default generic D&D setting. Mostly it's to create a larger gap between it and the Realms.

 

[aiouh]

My conclusion of Greyhawk was, it's not interesting. Until 3E, Forgotten Realms was a more thought-out, well-rounded setting. I read the '24 section of the DMG and it was so bare bones that I used some of it; but nothing stood out that made me want to expand on or revisit any area.

I think that's very deliberate on WotC's part. People just want to emulate their favorite stories and the average player who neither reads Fantasy Novels, ENWorld, Reddit or watches DnDTube is content bonking goblins on the head and making inappropriate passes at the barmaiden while drinking with friends.

Homebrewing and make-up-stuff-as-you-go style DMing which is very en vogue right now requires significant investment and buy-in in the Forgotten Realms. Greyhawk is a bit more forgiving.

 

[the Jester]

What about a "return to castle Greyhawk", a sequel of the 1988 parody module?

Go to your room. No supper for you.

Seriously- this is probably the absolute worst way to do anything Greyhawk related. That module isn't just a useless piece of crap, it's actively insulting to Greyhawk, the Gygaxes, and WoG players.

 

[TerraDave]

People have attributed Greyhawk as the "grim and gritty, sword and sorcery setting" despite the fact that it's really just kinda the default generic D&D setting. Mostly it's to create a larger gap between it and the Realms.

They did specifically discuss the Tomb of Horrors and character death. For a while.

So there might actually be something to it.

 

[SkidAce]

My conclusion of Greyhawk was, it's not interesting. Until 3E, Forgotten Realms was a more thought-out, well-rounded setting. I read the '24 section of the DMG and it was so bare bones that I used some of it; but nothing stood out that made me want to expand on or revisit any area.

Done well, it would get a lot of money from a selected niche customer, but it's not for me.

For many of us, the barebones was the point of Greyhawk. When the Forgotten Realms came out I thought "cool ,another framework" but as I looked though it, so much was already detailed that I bounced off the setting hard. There didnt seem to be room for my ideas.

Eventually for me, all the FR setting was, was for stealing mechanics and ideas from.

 

[Marc17]

Actually, I'm not sure if I would expect 'gritty', but from my impression of older stuff (if that is where the book is drawing on) I'm expecting more whimsical, weird fantasy type stuff that should probably fit pretty well with the current design scheme. I'm expecting more of "we made up stuff we thought would be fun" if drawing on the past. Not to say there couldn't be some gritty stuff in there too. Let's not forget that until UA and Melf's Acid Arrow, there was no damage dealing 2nd level Magic-User spell. If they wanted to contribute to combat they took Web or Invisibility to get the thief in for a backstab (or keep themselves out of the way).

 

[Plaguescarred]

Whoa system shock rolled! What an amazing news to see GREYHAWK supplement and adventures getting officially published again, and even more so with Gygax onboard!

Really looking foward to this!

 

[Mark Craddock]

no, you really do not. The Gygaxes were not in charge or even involved with D&D for a long time, there is no need to change that.

There also is no need to keep them out, assuming they are good designers in their own right and this is not just nepotism / benefitting from your family name.

Yeah, I don't want to see Ernie's name on anything WotC publishes.

 

[Morrus]

Yeah, I don't want to see Ernie's name on anything WotC publishes.

It seems unlikely, given that he passed away last year.

 

[LuisCarlos17f]

I don't talk about an update of Castle Greyhawk but a "spin-off", other demiplanes created by Zagyg. Some times this "demiplane" appears in the ruins of an acient castle, but it disappears to reapear in other place, maybe in other wildspace. At least we have one idea for the next April's Fool in D&D-Beyond.