D&D 5E Give Me Three Reasons To Play Greyhawk

[Caliburn101]

Your inner geek should know that Blackmoor was the first regional campaign setting (and a small one at that), not a world, and elements of it were incorporated into Greyhawk in any case.

The only reason I know this is that I played D&D from it's very first incarnation (the pamphlets...) when I was a nipper.

 

[Pauln6]

1. Anna's Maps
2. Dial magic saturation up or down with ease.
3. No Driz'zt

 

[mflayermonk]

From Grey in the Hawk

1) Player Resolution of Critical Events

The seminal events in Greyhawk's current history and development are all presented such that the players may not only take part but play a leading role. Players could fight the Greyhawk Wars.
Players defeated the hordes of the Temple of Elemental Evil. Players defeated Lolth. Players turned the tide as Iuz aced Vecna.
In the Forgotten Realms, for example, Ao decrees an event and the players get to clean up in the aftermath. Cyric destroys Zhentil Keep offstage and the players get to delve into the ruins. Gods die to be replaced by mortals and the players watch. Elminster sends players on a mission but ultimately keeps from them the greater goal the mission serves.

2) Persistent Personified Evil

Evil in Greyhawk is persistent. It is halted, checked or imprisoned but it is not defeated with finality for all time. The triumph over evil is a relative thing, ultimately transitory.
Evil in Greyhawk is personified. Evil has faces and names attached to it that ring down through the setting's history. It is not an evil that pops up purely to give the players something to strive against and defeat before moving on to the next evil that similarly appears out of relative nowhere.
Vecna, Iuz, Lolth, Tharzidun, the Scarlet Brotherhood, Aerdi, Kas, even Turrosh Mak, all met this criteria. They are highly personified forces that spring from the setting's specific history. By comparison, evil in the Forgotten Realms is of the pop-up variety save for the Red Wizards and Zhentrim. Menaces appear from nowhere or with on the spot histories that never before appeared in the setting. Greyhawk allows for this type of toaster villainy but it also established from the first, villains of a historic character that transcend the needs of the adventure of the moment.

3) Applied Internal Historic Consistency

Greyhawk has a strong internal sense of history that is consistently applied in all "Greyhawk" products or creations. However, not every product published under the name "Greyhawk" meets this criteria. Greyhawk is a storied realm. It's seminal figures, good and ill, are interwoven throughout the setting. It has a defined history that strongly influences the present and future of the setting. Greyhawk's history is not a footnote but an integral part of the setting that must be understood to truly comprehend the relationships among men, nations and even gods. True "Greyhawk" products or creations build on this history, incorporate it and develop it. The best such products or creations leave enough open ends to allow for further such development. More mediocre products attempt closure of every loose thread.

 

[lowkey13]

*Deleted by user*

 

[AriochQ]

1. http://ghmaps.net/greyhawk-maps/ Best resource evah!
2. If you like political campaigns, Greyhawk is the place.
3. It has just enough detail/lack of detail to be perfect for a sandbox campaign.

 

[devincutler]

1. Most of the classic old school modules take place in GH. So you can grab them and convert them to 5th edition and run them in their intended setting! Frankly, converting those old modules to 5th edition is extraordinarily easy since they mostly only use the critters from the AD&D original Monster Manual and those are pretty much the iconic creatures that are presented in the 5th edition Monster Manual. Similarly, classes and spells and magic items in those scenarios are also from the basic AD&D books and so are readily duplicated by core 5th edition product. I have to imagine that a conversion of the Giant series (and D and Q) would be very easy.

2. There were some absolutely great articles on the political situation in GH before Gygax left that were in old editions of The Dragon Magazine. I assume they can be found somewhere on the web and are really well written and provide some nice political maneuverings if you want to set your campaign in the heyday of GH before the GH Wars and FtA.

3. As said before, most of the "Powers" in GH are neutral. You don't have Drizzt and Elminster and 7 Sisters and who knows what else running around saving everybody. (BTW, I like FR, so I am not trying to diss it....but GH is different).