Where is the best place for a newbie to start a Greyhawk game

[SWBaxter]

Best way is to read through the countries (D&D gazetteer is fine, don't need to pile through the full LGG), look at the map, and find one that grabs you. Different regions have somewhat different real-world inspirations and "feels", there's a little of everything in the setting. No sense directing you to pseudo-Arabian adventures in Ull or Ket if you've got a hankering for Viking-style epics, after all.

That said, my personal favourite is the Ulek nations. Lots of demihumans, the Pomarj is right next door, convenient coast nearby for some swashbuckling, and if you do get the politicking bug there's some obvious options open both in the area and nearby (Keoland, Greyhawk, the Scarlet Brotherhood).

 

[KaosDevice]

I'm a big fan of the Dyvers area. You've got the Chicago of fantasy, the Gnarley Forest, the lake, etc. etc. Lots of stuff to do around there.

 

[Wraith Form]

the Dyvers area. You've got the Chicago of fantasy

Love the way you descibed that. I mean, if Greyhawk (City of) is NYC, then....yeah, exactly.

 

[dpmcalister]

I'm biased (as I'm a player and webmaster for the new Onnwal website), but I'd go with Onnwal. Prior to the Gen Con UK 2005 Specials, there's lots of rebellion plots, post Gen Con UK 2005 Specials, there's the clean up and rebuilding of the country... imagine all that treasure that the Scarlet Brotherhood left behind????

Seriously though, there may be a little too much intrigue in Onnwal for the type of campaign you're looking for so I'd go with Ahlissa. It's close enough to enough countries to have lots of potential (especially if you decide to expand from dungeon delving in the future).

 

[Mycanid]

Wow - a nod of agreement. I rarely get such things.

Thanks dpm!

 

[dpmcalister]

Wow - a nod of agreement. I rarely get such things.

Thanks dpm!

No worries, always glad to help

 

[Gansk]

I'm bouncing in at the @ 581 ish mark. My players know something about the Flanaess, but not alot and they are familiar with some of the modules. I'm willing to overlook some stuff after, but I'm trying to keep some of the stuff before (Greyhawk wars, Ivid the Undying) as potential fluff or even a plot-hook or two.

Potentially, I want to keep it as generic as possible and still be Greyhawk.

I think you mean CY 591, because the wars occurred in 582 and you want those to be in the past, right?

I set the Sunless Citadel module in the County of Ulek, with the idea of leading them towards the Lortmil Mountains for the Forge of Fury or an old Dragon mag module on the Wild Coast, but the campaign stalled rather quickly.

My Return to the Temple of Elemental Evil campaign is set entirely in the Verbobonc/Kron Hills area, along with the Gnarley Forest where I set the Crucible of Freya module.

 

[grodog]

If you want generic GH, I would pick up the 32 page D&D Gazetteer or the Greyhawk folio (you'll pay more for the latter, but get much much nicer maps). That'll give you more than enough generic history to get started.

I would set my game in the Greyhawk City area, but not in GH City to start; I'd begin in Hommlet or the Wild Coast or some other area nearby, and then move into GH. Being near GH gives you easy access to lots of classic modules, including: A1-4 (Wild Coast), B1-2 (can go anywhere really, but B1 is good in the Cairn Hills, and B2 is nice on any of GH's three border areas), C2 (near Hardby), EX1-2 (from Castle GH), S2 (north of GH in the Bandit Kingdoms by the Rift Valley), T1 (near Verbobonc), T1-4 (ditto; T1 is better), WG5 (near Maure Castle), WG6 (from Castle GH), WGR1 (Greyhawk Castle; you should also consider looking at the Troll Lord Games Castle Zagyg books), the Falcon series (in GH City; I don't recall the codes offhand), and the recent Maure Castle series in Dungeon (#112, 124, 139), as well as the Age of Worms series in Dungeon (starting 124 also through about 134 or so).

If you're looking for beginning modules to begin play, I'd use consider T1 The Village of Hommlet, and then lead into Rob Kuntz's Dark Chateau (Troll Lord Games) to draw the PCs from the Hommlet/ToEE area to the city.

 

[Philotomy Jurament]

I would set my game in the Greyhawk City area, but not in GH City to start; I'd begin in Hommlet or the Wild Coast or some other area nearby, and then move into GH.

If you're looking for beginning modules to begin play, I'd use consider T1 The Village of Hommlet, Rob Kuntz's Dark Chateau (Troll Lords)

What he said.

 

[Remathilis]

I think you mean CY 591, because the wars occurred in 582 and you want those to be in the past, right?

Yeah, Typo. I meant 591.