Stats for the Circle of Eight?

[ColonelHardisson]

Gygax's "Up on a Soapbox" in Dragon 318 (April 2004) provides the following notes about each:

Can you provide a direct link? My internet-search-fu is weak; even after clicking on the links in your sig I'm not finding this.

 

[AdmundfortGeographer]

The stats for the Circle in 591, as listed in LJ#0 are very sparse, but the backgrounds are detailed.

Almahazad the Wise, Wiz 19: hp 59, AL LN. Str 7, Dex 13, Con 10, Int 20, Wis 17, Cha 14

Bigby, Wiz 19: hp 89, AL N. Str 9, Dex 17, Con 15, Int 21, Wis 15, Cha 12

Drawmij, Wiz 18: hp 81, AL N. Str 7, Dex 16, Con 15, Int 22, Wis 17, Cha 9

Jallarzi Sallavarian, Wiz 15: hp 47, AL NG. Str 10, Dex 18, Con 10, Int 19, Wis 17, Cha 17

Mordenkainen, Wiz 20+: hp 106, AL N. Str 10, Dex 17, Con 17, Int 23, Wis 15, Cha 18

Nystul, Wiz 17: hp 76, AL N. Str 7, Dex 10, Con 15, Int 22, Wis 17, Cha 15

Otto, Clr 3(Boccob)/Wiz 15: hp 78, AL N. Str 16, Dex 10, Con 15, Int 17, Wis 15, Cha 17

Theodain Eriason, Wiz 17: hp 79, AL CN. Str 15, Dex 17, Con 13, Int 22, Wis 15, Cha 16

Warnes Starcoat, Wiz 20: hp 86, AL N. Str 14, Dex 18, Con 16, Int 24, Wis 17, Cha 17​

 

[grodog]

Can you provide a direct link? My internet-search-fu is weak; even after clicking on the links in your sig I'm not finding this.

My summary page for the Soapbox articles is at http://www.greyhawkonline.com/grodog/gh_castle_sources_soapbox.html

 

[Ripzerai]

That's not a bad idea- have to give it a different name.

The 3e conversion of Al-Qadim calls the 2e sorcerer class the saher. I don't remember which provinces Almahazad specialized in.

 

[dead]

• Mordenkainen - MU of level 20+ (stats from Rogues Gallery and WG5 were not the real stats for Mordy)
• Bigby - Mordy's old apprentice, charmed in Castle El Raja Key, level 20+ (Mordy -2 or 3 or so?; ditto on RG/WG5 comment)
• Yrag - human fighter (ditto on WG5 comment)
• Riggby - human cleric (ditto on WG5 comment)
• Felnorith - human fighter, generally mentioned as "Lord Felnorith" so he should be at least level 9+
• Siggby - no info extant that I know of
• Diggby (a dwarf) - ditto
• Vram and Vin - twin elven Fighter/MUs

Thanks grodog.

In fact, LJ#0 mentions the Citadel of Eight as a precurser to the Circle of Eight. So, at least canon GH hasn't dismissed them. It sounds like they were Mordy's adventuring companions/henchmen before he settled down to create the Circle of Eight.

Wow. All those "-iggby" names. They were surely nicknames granted by Mordy. It's not likely Mordy would cross paths with all those henchman with similar rhyming names by chance!

 

[ColonelHardisson]

If I'm not mistaken, Warnes Starcoat is one of the pregen characters in Isle of the Ape, so his 1e stats appear there.

 

[Glyfair]

I'm actually kind of surprised at some of the choices of classes for the characters (ie, no PrCs, etc.).

One thing to remember is that it came out almost immediately after 3E was released. Probably the only prestige classes at that time were the DMG ones. Not many options.

 

[AdmundfortGeographer]

One thing to remember is that it came out almost immediately after 3E was released. Probably the only prestige classes at that time were the DMG ones. Not many options.

And as I recall, if the article was written during the authoring of the LGG, then the authors didn't even know there would be a thing like Prestige Classes in the 3.0 DMG.

 

[Cthulhudrew]

And as I recall, if the article was written during the authoring of the LGG, then the authors didn't even know there would be a thing like Prestige Classes in the 3.0 DMG.

That was evidently partially the case. Erik Mona (one of the writers of the LGJ #0 article) talked about that specific choice in a message I saw on the Wizards board while looking for more information about the Circle.

While what Rich says is true, we ultimately decided to keep the wizards generalists to honor their longstanding status as generalists, which has now endured three editions. That's also why we resisted the urge to make any of them sorcerers.

I strongly agree that Greyhawk needs more specialist wizards, but I don't think the Circle of Eight is the right place for them. Nor do I think it's a good place for fighters and thieves and things, even if that's how the Circle looked in Gary's original campaign. Since then, the Circle has become sort of the "definitive" organization of D&D wizards, so it'll remain that way as long as I have any say in the matter.

 

[BOZ]

I think he only appeared, and was statted, in Return of the Eight.

this is what wikipedia has on him. IIRC, he does get at least a paragraph in Player's Guide to Greyhawk.