D&D 5E Which Greyhawk?

[Henry]

Oh, yeah, the original GH setting itself was one of those "shadows", too - I just agree with Merric's point that, no matter what is done, no version of GH will please but a fraction of its fans. I'd be just as well with a 5e-ified reprint of the 1983 box, myself, with maybe tiefling/cambions but no dragonborn, with most classes/archetypes being able to be retrofitted into what was expressed in the 1983 content.

 

[Oofta]

Since you're never going to please the people that have an encyclopedic knowledge of Greyhawk (I'm certainly not one myself), I'd simply do a slightly different era.

Set it a bit after the conclusion of the last book published, far enough in the future that the dust has settled.

I wouldn't do much with rules for PCs, those can be done in other books (or as a separate download). Put the effort into giving a framework for a campaign setting, with factions, regions, organizations. Have a chapter on Greyhawk City itself.

Give people enough information about past events that they can set campaigns during those times as well. Have a glossary which includes a reference to appropriate source materials so people know what old books to buy if they're interest in something specific.

Basically, give me a relatively clean campaign. One where gods haven't died, merged, split apart and been reborn. One where we haven't had worlds collide only to separate again.

Have a sidebar for how to include other races that were not part of the campaign such as dragonborn indicating how you could include them in your campaign, but don't make a lot of effort to integrate them into the campaign. It's not necessary ... if you want them in your campaign they are easy enough to add in.

 

[Luz]

I think what we'll end up seeing is similar to how they've treated FR: adventures that focus on a small region within GH, with some geographical and historical details provided. Past world events will likely be generalized, hitting only the high notes (references to the giants/drow, the GH wars, TAB, etc.) I definitely don't think we'll see a campaign setting book, but I'm alright with that. At this point, I'd rather have small focused areas that concentrate on present day GH than a complete overhaul that futilely tries to consolidate and preserve all the contrasting canon.

 

[Satyrn]

I think what I'd want is what 5e is likely to give us: an adventure path (or collection of adventures) centered around Greyhawk itself, with setting details scattered throughout.

 

[JeffB]

Since you're never going to please the people that have an encyclopedic knowledge of Greyhawk (I'm certainly not one myself), I'd simply do a slightly different era.

Set it a bit after the conclusion of the last book published, far enough in the future that the dust has settled.

I wouldn't do much with rules for PCs, those can be done in other books (or as a separate download). Put the effort into giving a framework for a campaign setting, with factions, regions, organizations. Have a chapter on Greyhawk City itself.

Give people enough information about past events that they can set campaigns during those times as well. Have a glossary which includes a reference to appropriate source materials so people know what old books to buy if they're interest in something specific.

Basically, give me a relatively clean campaign.

This is essentially what The Adventure Begins, and the Player's Guide from 1998 are.

 

[Pauln6]

It's pointless to re-hash slight differences to the same locations all over again. I'm fine if they want to tweak the political landscape in 600 CY but I hope they don't move the timeline too far forward.

I'd rather see an adventure set somewhere we don't normally see, like the former Great Kingdom, Urnst, or the Sultanate of Zeif.

 

[dropbear8mybaby]

Oh, yeah, the original GH setting itself was one of those "shadows", too - I just agree with Merric's point that, no matter what is done, no version of GH will please but a fraction of its fans.

This has, unfortunately, always been the problem with publishing new material. Even Holian's LGG was greeted with disdain from some quarters and it was about as faithful to Gygax's material as you could get while still updating it with newer material.

I like the LGG version but as long as it had Sargent's work as canon, including Ivid the Undying, then I'd be happy with whatever they did (assuming they didn't do a 4e-level upheaval like they did to FR).

I agree with others though that the most likely book would be more of an overview and slight update like SCAG, mostly dealing with the flavour of the setting to reinvigorate interest, and maybe with a campaign component based on one of the classic villains or factions. Personally, I'd love to see a campaign set in Rinloru

 

[TwoSix]

I'd like to see Greyhawk with more Grey, and less Hawk.

 

[JeffB]

Ask and ye shall receive.

Nitescreed's (in)famous treatise Grey in the Hawk

The post at the link says 1998, but IIRC it was originally posted a few years before this..around the time of FTA's release.

 

[Azzy]

Go ahead and keep the timeline where it's at—moving the timeline again really isn't going to add anything useful, and likely only conflict with/obsolete previous supplements.

I'd just like a decent player's guide that is actually good at introducing the setting, its people, history, and gods to new players without bogging them down with encyclopedic minutia and unnecessary (to the new player) information. Provide things like what people of one nation think of each surrounding nation, general stereotypes, styles of dress, common arms and armor, etc. Stuff that characters would know, and players can use to give their characters life.