D&D 5E Greyhawk Sub-Classes

[Helldritch]

And St. Cuthbert, Istus, Iuz, Nerull, Ralishaz, Ulaa, and Xan Yae.

Only Boccob, Fharlanghn, Raxivort, and Zagyg of the ones with a description had none. So 18 out of 22 had special stuff for their specific clerics.

Yes, you are right. But only the 11 I mentionned had an experience penalty. These are the ones that should (could?) have a little something special treatment?

 

[Todd Roybark]

Did I just read a whole page that consisted of two posters typing back and forth:

“Factions are stupid.”
“ Factions are not stupid.”
“ Yes they are.“
“No they are not”

This is why Greyhawk, can’t have nice things.

 

[Voadam]

Yes, you are right. But only the 11 I mentionned had an experience penalty. These are the ones that should (could?) have a little something special treatment?

I'd disagree. I'd suggest cool thematic elements that work well with a subclass should be the appropriate criteria. A Xan Yae Ying/Yang martial arts domain where you got a type of monk strike and some shadow stuff could be cool thematically and mechanically even though their bonus stuff did not cost xp in 1e.

 

[the Jester]

Did I just read a whole page that consisted of two posters typing back and forth:

“Factions are stupid.”
“ Factions are not stupid.”
“ Yes they are.“
“No they are not”

This is why Greyhawk, can’t have nice things.

You might say there were... two factions.

 

[Magister Ludorum]

The fact that some Greyhawk fans insist that nothing can be in Greyhawk that wasn't included in Gary Gygax's original rules is why I predict that we will never have a published Greyhawk setting.

 

[Voadam]

You might say there were... two factions.

Or that there is one class of Greyhawk fans split into two distinct subclasses.

 

[Voadam]

The fact that some Greyhawk fans insist that nothing can be in Greyhawk that wasn't included in Gary Gygax's original rules is why I predict that we will never have a published Greyhawk setting.

Eh, I doubt that would be a causative factor. Some people have been like that since the beginning, but we still got From the Ashes and a wave of non-Gygaxian 2e Greyhawk material, and the fantastic Living Greyhawk Gazetteer in 3e.

 

[Magister Ludorum]

Eh, I doubt that would be a causative factor. Some people have been like that since the beginning, but we still got From the Ashes and a wave of non-Gygaxian 2e Greyhawk material, and the fantastic Living Greyhawk Gazetteer in 3e.

Too many Greyhawk fans have vociferously expressed their opinion that any Greyhawk product must have ...

• no races that weren't in that setting back in 1e/2e edition
• no classes that weren't in that setting back in 1e/2e
• codified rules for racial hatred between NPCs
• an emphasis on humanocentricism

I've even seen posts in this forum arguing for ...

• racial level limits
• lower STR maxima for female characters
• low magic

Nostalgia is one of the most toxic things in gaming (heck in human culture in general). I can feel pretty secure in making the prediction that no version of Greyhawk that follows any of these tropes will ever see print. It's no longer the 1970s and 1980s.

I've run Greyhawk from the folio since 1980 or so. I've always introduced new races and new classes as they came along.

I don't need an update of this setting since ...

• I disregard the entire published metaplot
• there are no new mechanics necessary to run a 5e game set in Greyhawk
• there is no consensus amongst Greyhawk fans as to what they want in a Greyhawk setting book

BTW, I like the Living Greyhawk Gazetteer, but I still prefer the version of Greyhawk in the folio. I prefer the Great Kingdom to be whole and Iuz to be still on the rise.

I am currently running from the LGG in Nyrond. The general theme of that chronicle is Iuz (since that's what the players wanted). I have already outlined the tier 4 adventures where the characters try to follow in the steps of Zagyg Yragerne and trap Iuz beneath Castle Greyhawk. [I doubt most of them read these forums.]

The other Greyhawk game I'm running is in southern Keoland and ties into some of the adventures in Ghosts of Saltmarsh. It's set in the folio era.

 

[cbwjm]

Pretty sure that there is 0 chance that a potential Grayhawk won't have all the races and classes in the PHB.

Also is Grayhawk really low magic? I'd have thought that players would have ended up with a plethora of magical items as they adventured. Or when they say low magic do they mean less spellcasters?

 

[Ruin Explorer]

The issue I see here, and I think it's a significant one, is that most subclasses should not be over-specific to a particular organisation. Only one subclass in all of 5E is, that I'm aware of - the Purple Dragon Knight - and I don't think it's entirely a coincidence that it's staggeringly unpopular.

So starting from PrCs specific to existing organisations, and trying to work out subclasses seems like a poor approach for a Greyhawk setting book, to me. If anything, you want to look at the basic underlying concept behind the PrC, broaden it out, and see if it still fits the Greyhawk concept, and as others have said, if it fits with a specific class theme quite strongly.

If both are achieved, then it makes sense as a subclass. Most of these seem more like backgrounds or factions. You don't need a subclass for every class in a book, either.