D&D 5E (2024) WotC Should Make 5.5E Specific Setting

[billd91]

Considering what we now know about EGG’s willingness to use the rules and setting to enforce his personal ideas about fantasy archetypes, and his preference for pulp sword and sorcery, it is not surprising that Greyhawk did not have much room for Gnomes and Halflings. I seem to remember some mention of Gnomes from the Kron Hills joining other races and realms in battle against the Temple of Elemental Evil, but I do not remember much at all about Halfling forces or settlements.

Well, hold on there. Halfling and gnome-ruled polities may not be around in the Greyhawk material, but that doesn't mean there's no room in Gygax's Greyhawk. If you look at the setting as published in the 1983 boxed set, when the various polities refer to demihumans in significant numbers to call out specific varieties, halflings and gnomes come up a lot and spread widely. They may not be the high and mighty NPCs, but there's plenty of room for their involvement, their presence in the background, and halfling/gnome PCs to come from just about anywhere.

 

[Parmandur]

Well, hold on there. Halfling and gnome-ruled polities may not be around in the Greyhawk material, but that doesn't mean there's no room in Gygax's Greyhawk. If you look at the setting as published in the 1983 boxed set, when the various polities refer to demihumans in significant numbers to call out specific varieties, halflings and gnomes come up a lot and spread widely. They may not be the high and mighty NPCs, but there's plenty of room for their involvement, their presence in the background, and halfling/gnome PCs to come from just about anywhere.

For sure, but it is pretty easy to slide Dragonborn, Aasamir, Tieflings, and Goliaths in there alongside them. There are already dragons, giants, fiends, and celwstials ar work.

 

[Flying Toaster]

Well, hold on there. Halfling and gnome-ruled polities may not be around in the Greyhawk material, but that doesn't mean there's no room in Gygax's Greyhawk. If you look at the setting as published in the 1983 boxed set, when the various polities refer to demihumans in significant numbers to call out specific varieties, halflings and gnomes come up a lot and spread widely. They may not be the high and mighty NPCs, but there's plenty of room for their involvement, their presence in the background, and halfling/gnome PCs to come from just about anywhere.

I do remember the 1983 boxed set having demographic data listing the populations of different races in various regions. There were a fair number of non-human populations scattered around, but not many realms on the map. I never really saw it as a big problem for players making non-human PCs, because their character could come from any number of settlements that do not appear on the continental-scale Greyhawk map.

 

[Yaarel]

Regarding 1e Greyhawk, is there an easy way to identify where Dragons and Giants are most populous in Flanaess?

A heat map would be great.