Greyhawk Sages! Tell me the differences between From the Ashes vs Living Greyhawk/Adventure Begins?

[Doc_Klueless]

I think that I know that the Living Greyhawk lore takes place a few years after the events in From the Ashes. But I've been wrong many many times before.

So I thought I'd appeal to those Sages who would know here and elsewhere.

Plus others may find it helpful.

How does the 2e From the Ashes differ from 3e Living Greyhawk/Adventure Begins LORE wise?

 

[Shiroiken]

Unless you want to get into the specifics (which would be a REALLY long thread), in general From the Ashes takes place just after the Greyhawk Wars. This is a dark time for the Flanaess, with the rise of Iuz's empire, the Great Kingdom's expansion west, and the Scarlet Brotherhood's intrigues. The goodly kingdoms are either in ruins (Shield Lands), economically strained (Nyrond), or politically exhausted (Furyondy).

The Adventure Begins was a last ditch reboot by TSR, late in the 2E cycle, because they realized that a lot of players really hated the "dark" Greyhawk. It setup events that reversed much of the events of the Greyhawk Wars, limiting the power of the evil nations, and allowing the good ones to recover some. There was more intrigue (especially with Nyrond's royal family, IIRC), and less overall warfare.

By the time Living Greyhawk came about, the region was tenuously stable. Living Greyhawk also went into detail on areas, gods, and people that were previously uncharted. It details out every living deity specific to Greyhawk, giving each at least half a page. Unless you are looking for Gygaxian style Greyhawk, Living Greyhawk is probably the best overall single sourcebook for Greyhawk. Unfortunately, it's as dry as an encyclopedia, which is what it really is.

 

[Doc_Klueless]

Unless you are looking for Gygaxian style Greyhawk, Living Greyhawk is probably the best overall single sourcebook for Greyhawk. Unfortunately, it's as dry as an encyclopedia, which is what it really is.

Thanks. All that is just what I needed to know.

 

[haakon1]

My opinion ...

“From the Ashes” was produced to take Greyhawk from its roots with Gygax, his home campaign, and the game e dominated in the AD&D era. FTA made it TSR’s corporate property, a dark alternative setting to contrast it with “Forgotten Realms” as the “regular” 2e setting. Gygax’s boxed set had knights riding from a castle on the cover. FTA had the same image with a Zombie horse. Inside joke about beating a dead horse, or goth Greyhawk? Either way many Greyhawk fans like myself were annoyed.

The Adventure Begins was from a passionate Greyhawk fan, to revive the setting, a little, on a shoestring.

Living Greyhawk was the bursting forth of creativity from a group of passionate fans who’d stayed with Greyhawk through the dark times, new everything about the setting, and tried to pull the old schoolers and the FTA fans together. Kinda of like 5e.

Anyhow, my personal go-to sources for Greyhawk are Gygax’s boxed set and Living Greyhawk, but I reference the latter far more. I think it’s just wonderful, and I’m very grateful to the folks who wrote it, and to WotC for reviving D&D after TSR’s collapse and putting out this book.