Edena_of_Neith said:
Post-nuclear Greyhawk? Interesting.
I play modified Greyhawk too, but a very different modification. I try to keep to the spirit of old 1980s boxed set, Gygaxian Greyhawk. The Greyhawk Wars as such never happened. In particular:
-- The Giants and Drow were defeated PC's and the good folk of the Sheldomar Valley.
-- The FtA subplot where Iuz rules the Bandit Kingdoms, Shield Lands, Stonefist, etc. never happened. He is a pain for the Rovers and the Wolf Nomads and Furyondy though, for sure. War drums on the Veng and in the Vesve.
-- Who knows what's going on at the otherside of the world in the Great Kingdom and the Scarlet Brotherhood? All that is known for sure is that trade from Rel Astra is cut off for the most part, trickling across land in the ravaged region of Ahlissa.
-- The main plot element that effects the PC's is the major war between Ket (backed by Ull plus Perrenlander mercenaries and humanoid tribes "secretly" provided by Iuz) and Bissel (backed by the Knights of the Watch, Gran March, and Veluna). Ket has set out to crush Bissel once and for all, but a quick look at the Gygaxian materials on Bissel will show it's an armed camp with a large and well-trained military, not to mention Greyhawk's largest order of knights -- so the pushover scenario in FtA is right out.
So what's it like to be a Com1? Well, most people are Com1, just like the DMG says.
It's safe behind the high walls of Thornward (which cover the city on all sides, not leaving the rivers edge open to attack, unlike the city in the Red Hand of Doom). Thornward Castle is the safest place for many a league, but people only go there on official business. The city streets are not patrolled, but the population is almost all the regular PHB PC races -- the odd lizardman, giant, and goblin are known personalities to me, and don't get out much. There are thieves here, but they are weak in most areas -- the center of their power is the outlying town of Bridgewater, towards the Bramblewood. And of course the Rhenee plying the river are not to be trusted.
Most peasants live in or near fortifications. I'll describe a few of the villages the PC's have visited (all modifications of modules, sometimes heavily modified, sometimes just lived in):
-- The Keep. A major baronial fortress (encircling walls and a small dunjeon) along the edge of the Yatil Mountains, on the North Road to Highfolk. The local goblin king in the Caves of Chaos made peace, via the PCs, and helped (a little) to defeat the evil cult and orcs there. The goblin king's tribute is a cow a week. The lizardmen keep to themselves. The humans and demihumans of the Keep don't farm further from the Keep than they can run. Their homes are all crowded into the outer bailey of the Keep. More hearty types hunt the nearby woods and keep cattle and sheep in the area. Merchants enjoy the hospitality of the Green Man and the Merchants Guild offices. Since the cult's attempt to storm the Keep, things are quiet. Most able bodied peasants are in the militia, and there are several retired PC's helping to strength their force.
-- Dzeebagd. A earthwork and wood tower motte-and-bailey castle deep in the Bramblewood, attempting to colonize new land. The homes were inside for the most part, with some outbuildings and a small mill. Goblinoids and bandits -- agents of Ket allied with the thieves guild -- killed almost everyone there. Now inhabited by a friendly Firbolg giant and an old blind basketweaver.
-- Ossington. Deep in the Dim Forest, this village is foolishly unprotected by stone walls. Of course, it has some magical protections from its very special magical location. The populaton "had a problem" with a siege and the militia is being rebuilt, pretty much from scratch, with War 1, Expert 1, and even a few Com 1.
-- Buckbray. Rather than a borderland, Buckbray is more towards the center of the realm, along the main waterway. The various hamlets of the manor are not fortified, but there's a tower along the river, and a "strong" militia by my standards -- all professional, full-time War 1, full equipped with polearms, sidearms, and light crossbows. Buckbray has been called upon to provide two fully-armored horsemen and 10 footmen for the war effort, but has begged off due to local concerns, which is why the PC's are there -- solve the problem quickly so that a bad precedent of disobeying feudal obligations doesn't lead to a breakdown of authority.
-- Fairhill. A rich agricultural village on the trade route to Veluna and with a site of pilgramage for a minor sect, but near ruins. Its city fathers cheaped out and have a hedge, rather than a wall, and a wall wooden tower rather than a true fortress. Most of the militia and its leaders, including the local grandee, are off at the wars. The stuff in the module about their heavy patrolling of the village itself has been eliminated. They do, however, still have great armor for militia (chain shirts), because the village is rich and has a famous armorer of formerly great skill (now a broken down drunk since a monster kidnapped his family).
Bottomline -- It's not too bad for most people to live in Buckbray or Fairhill, but a short sharp death is possible anywhere, and it's very dangerous to live on (the Keep, Dzeebagd) or beyond (Ossington) the frontier.
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