Greyhawk Primary Source Material

[drakhe]

Basicaly, my sources are the novels, which I enjoy very much. For me these are the best in the range of setting/novels. I like some of the dragonlance and forgotten realms stuff, but find these in some ways overdeveloped. I like the more down to earth and sturdy feeling I get from the greyhawk novels.

The reason I quote the novels as background is simply because I don't have a strict choice of campaign setting. I'm kinda bopping arround between several, using locales and NPC's from several different settings, that get addapted to what I as DM feel comfortablke with. In that respect I definatly quote the greyhawk novels as source because it's that kind of feeling I want to bring into my game.

 

[chatdemon]

I voted 83 boxed set. The definitive Greyhawk sourcebook IMO. The LGG is good, but some of the 2e changes that are now cannon blow*.



*Vecna Lives has to be the worst thing I've ever read.

Vecna Lives is not a canon Greyhawk source. The events that took Vecna to Ravenloft and back are Ravenloft canon, not Greyhawk. The LGG in no way relies on Vecna lives for its presentation of that god.

 

[chatdemon]

I voted other.

My main source of info is the Canonfire! website. I long ago gleaned all the stuff I wanted from the published sources, and the fan material on Canonfire is a refreshing change of pace.

The LGG, 83 Boxed set (which is almost identical in material to the 80 folio, which I owned but sold a few years back), City of Greyhawk boxed set, From the Ashes boxed set, Greyhawk Player's Guide and The Adventure Begins are all sources I use now and then.

 

[chatdemon]

I voted for 1980. If I am not mistaken it has the largest and highest quality maps. The actual information presented is pretty sparse. Since you won't get much out of scanned maps I would say its not worth it for ESD.

Those are the so called 'Darlene' maps (in honor of cartographer Darlene Pekul). They were included in both the 80 folio and the 83 box. Same maps.

 

[Flexor the Mighty!]

Vecna Lives is not a canon Greyhawk source. The events that took Vecna to Ravenloft and back are Ravenloft canon, not Greyhawk. The LGG in no way relies on Vecna lives for its presentation of that god.

Now it's been a few years since I've seen that but am I mixing that one up with another one where Vecna is made a god in Greyhawk? Maybe I'm mixing my 2e greyhawk stuff up...

 

[chatdemon]

Now it's been a few years since I've seen that but am I mixing that one up with another one where Vecna is made a god in Greyhawk? Maybe I'm mixing my 2e greyhawk stuff up...

That was probably either Vecna Lives or Die Vecna, Die. Vecna became a god in Greyhawk canon via the Players Guide to Greyhawk, 1998, however. IMO, how and why that happened, as explained in the mods, isnt important.

For what it's worth, Vecna has always been a god in my campaign.

 

[grodog]

various replies....

Other: Living Greyhawk Journal, Dragon Magazine articles, Canonfire!, EGG novels.

Then the LGG and '83 box set (the map paper was higher quality in the 1980 folio though).

Rich, I thought Vecna Lives was Greyhawk canon but the following Ravenloft adventures weren't?

Something I've been wondering about : did TSR ever do any "Faiths & Avatars"-style writeups for the Greyhawk gods? If so, what product(s) were they in?

FtA details some of the gods (along with Dragon, 1983 set, LGG, Scarlet Brotherhood, and Living Greyhawk Journal). I don't own F&A, so I can't comment on the format stuff, sorry....

 

[MerricB]

Vecna Lives is definitely canon. It's why the Circle of Eight isn't around when the Greyhawk Wars start...

Cheers!

 

[Alzrius]

Vecna Lives is not a canon Greyhawk source. The events that took Vecna to Ravenloft and back are Ravenloft canon, not Greyhawk. The LGG in no way relies on Vecna lives for its presentation of that god.

Vecna Lives is definately a canon Greyhawk adventure, and not just because there is absolutely no Ravenloft in there either. As Merric said, its why the Circle of Eight isn't around when the Greyhawk Wars begin. Its also referenced in the Player's Guide to Greyhawk.

It's also worth noting that in second edition, all the canons mixed together, totally holistic. There is no "Ravenloft canon" as opposed to "Greyhawk canon." The entire 2E multiverse was tied together, what affected one campaign could affect another. All the Vecna adventures, Greyhawk and Ravenloft, are canon.

Vecna became a god in Greyhawk canon via the Players Guide to Greyhawk

Vecna has always been a god in Greyhawk. He was already a god way back when the Vecna Lives adventure first came out. Admittedly, as far as I know, no prior Greyhawk product mentions him as a deity, but thats because he's a minor, secretive god.

 

[johnsemlak]

I voted other.

The LGG, 83 Boxed set (which is almost identical in material to the 80 folio, which I owned but sold a few years back), City of Greyhawk boxed set, From the Ashes boxed set, Greyhawk Player's Guide and The Adventure Begins are all sources I use now and then.

I'm curious about source material of City of Greyhawk itself, or Dyvers or any other large city. I really don't have much, unfortunately. What is good?

Unfortunatley, the City of Greyhawk boxe set is not available as an ESD yet, as I understand. Is that worth tracking down? What about the Falcon series of modules? What info on Greyhawk do they provide (maps, NPCs, etc). Are there any other sources?