Greyhawk?

[Deth Muncher]

Who's gotten a chance to do this yet? Is it any good?

[Matthew]

What are you asking? Do what?

[starwoof]

What do you mean, 'yet'? I was under the impression that Greyhawk has been around since... well, the foggy old days of yore, when Gygax roamed the earth.

[horseboy]

Not to mention the whole "they're shutting it down" problem.

[Kurald Galain]

Who's gotten a chance to do this yet? Is it any good?

You mean the setting? It's nice but nothing special. In a way that's the whole point, as it allows DMs to customize it easily. It is the oldest setting we have, but not the most developed (that would probably be the Forgotten Realms), and it gave birth to several of the "famous" wizards from the PHB, like (iirc) Mordenkainen, Melf and Otiluke.

[hamlet]

You mean the setting? It's nice but nothing special. In a way that's the whole point, as it allows DMs to customize it easily. It is the oldest setting we have, but not the most developed (that would probably be the Forgotten Realms), and it gave birth to several of the "famous" wizards from the PHB, like (iirc) Mordenkainen, Melf and Otiluke.

Bigby, Tenser, Vecna . . .

[Larrin]

Who's gotten a chance to do this yet? Is it any good?

Come on everybody, do the GreyHawk!!!

erm...

[ALOR]

I am so confused

[GimliFett]

I think he means "Expedition to the Ruins of the Setting Formerly known as Greyhawk, previously known as D&D Default setting, henceforth to be known as um, we haven't decided yet." Just a guess. Personally, I haven't played yet, and I doubt I'll ever do so, since I'm the only DM amongst my group presently and have no intention of running said adventure.

[Shhalahr Windrider]

Well, among some groups to "Greyhawk" means "to grab every piece of loot in the dungeon, including that which is nailed down." As in, "Okay, we defeated the lich. Let's Greyhawk the joint."

Maybe he means something like that.

[Ralfarius]

Come on everybody, do the GreyHawk!!!

erm...

*Cues The Hustle music*

[CASTLEMIKE]

Who's gotten a chance to do this yet? Is it any good?

It has good reviews at Canonfire.

[Shhalahr Windrider]

You know, it strikes me that instead of saying, "including that which is nailed down," in my last post, I should have said, "especiallythat which is nailed down."

[CrazedGoblin]

When my group ran last we kind of erm.. destroyed greyhawk, everything in it ceaced to exist except 2 poor souls trapped for ever inside the pocket plane of the animated chest.

[GimliFett]

That sounds great, CrazedGoblin! Just what they deserve!

[Crazy_Uncle_Doug]

I haven't been in Greyhawk since I played 1e.

Back in those days, we didn't have your fancy-shmancy Forgotten Realms! If we wanted to roleplay, we had to hike to our friend's house. In the snow! Uphill! Both ways! And we were happy!

[Mithhuan]

I haven't been in Greyhawk since I played 1e.

Back in those days, we didn't have your fancy-shmancy Forgotten Realms! If we wanted to roleplay, we had to hike to our friend's house. In the snow! Uphill! Both ways! And we were happy!

Back in those days I had to fight off a grizzly bear with my players handbook.

I've picked up the new Expedition to the Ruins of Greyhawk. I traded Ghostwalk for it so, I couldn't beat the price. Just skimming through it, it looks good. I will probably prepare to play it the first of next year when my current campaign ends.

[Deth Muncher]

I'm.....definately talking about the new thingy they released last month: Expedition to the Ruins of Greyhawk. But now that I know since it's been around since 1ed, I'm even more worried.... The new campaign my group is doing is heading towards Greyhawk now....

[Zincorium]

As a player, Greyhawk has always seemed to scream "You! Yes, you, the person who was trying to have fun! You are Dreadfully Unimportant. The NPCs will handle it from here."

This is not from any particular DM, just a read through of the setting and one or two of the novels. At least in Fearun there's the whole 'spunky underdogs' bit going, where while you'll never be as good as, say, Eliminster, you'll somehow overcome his enemies with spirit and good teamwork.

[Matthew]

As a player, Greyhawk has always seemed to scream "You! Yes, you, the person who was trying to have fun! You are Dreadfully Unimportant. The NPCs will handle it from here."

This is not from any particular DM, just a read through of the setting and one or two of the novels. At least in Fearun there's the whole 'spunky underdogs' bit going, where while you'll never be as good as, say, Eliminster, you'll somehow overcome his enemies with spirit and good teamwork.

Whoah. Not my experience of the setting at all.

[Shhalahr Windrider]

Yeah. You wouldn't get as much of the "Spunky Underdogs" feeling if you were only reading the Elminster books. It just so happens there is an exceedingly large number novels following the "Spunky Underdogs" in the Forgotten Realms, but Greyhawk Books tend to focus more on the movers and shakers. In a similar vein, almost all the Ravenloft novels are about the Domain Lords, but how many campaigns actually follow them so closely? (Naturally, the Domain Lords have a huge impact, but they aren't necessarily the entire focus of any given campaign.)

As it is, I've never had the feeling that my character was being overshadowed by Rary or Mordenkainen in Living Greyhawk. The only time big names came up were in the neverending assault against Iuz (I play in Highfolk), and the fight against Rary in the Bright Sands arc. And in neither case did either villain ever really appear. (Well, I never finished Bright Sands, so I don't know if Rary made a guest appearance or not.)

[Zincorium]

Whoah. Not my experience of the setting at all.

I don't imagine that it's anybody's experience. It was just an impression I had. But for the most part I've played in or DMed either forgotten realms or homebrew settings, and avoided greyhawk.

Just kind of seemed like there was this immense weight of history and past play sessions by the creators that squeezed out most of the spaces for creativity. I mean, even the spells had other character's names plastered all over them. And I wish I could remember what series of books it was I read, because rather than 'gritty' or something like that, they just had a metaphorical layer of grime over what was really just a depressing squalor of a setting.

To put it simply, first impressions mean a lot.

[Shhalahr Windrider]

And I wish I could remember what series of books it was I read, because rather than 'gritty' or something like that, they just had a metaphorical layer of grime over what was really just a depressing squalor of a setting.

Heh. Reminds me of the only Greyhawk book I ever read. Saga of Old City. One of the Gord books. By Gygax himself. Didn't care for it.

[GimliFett]

Heh. Reminds me of the only Greyhawk book I ever read. Saga of Old City. One of the Gord books. By Gygax himself. Didn't care for it.

I remember reading the Gord books, way-way-way back. I didn't think they were all that good. Right after I read them, I found Darkwalker on Moonshae and I was sold on Forgotten Realms for years till it became bloated with its own success.

[Deth Muncher]

Oh...heh....the NPCs we had have...erm...died already.

See if any of this sounds familiar to anyone who's played in Greyhawk before:

We didn't start in a tavern, but we were on the way to one - we, being all the PCs and a few NPCs that randomly showed up - and when we got there, the town was ransacked. Turns out, it was an Orc Mage on a Wyvern that did it....

[Matthew]

I don't imagine that it's anybody's experience. It was just an impression I had. But for the most part I've played in or DMed either forgotten realms or homebrew settings, and avoided greyhawk.

Just kind of seemed like there was this immense weight of history and past play sessions by the creators that squeezed out most of the spaces for creativity. I mean, even the spells had other character's names plastered all over them. And I wish I could remember what series of books it was I read, because rather than 'gritty' or something like that, they just had a metaphorical layer of grime over what was really just a depressing squalor of a setting.

To put it simply, first impressions mean a lot.

Heh. Reminds me of the only Greyhawk book I ever read. Saga of Old City. One of the Gord books. By Gygax himself. Didn't care for it.

The novels are notoriously bad. Never read any of them myself. My first experience of Greyhawk was Temple of Elemental Evil, closely followed by the City of Greyhawk Boxed Set and then From the Ashes. I guess it just depends what you are exposed to by way of first impressions. I think my first experience of the Forgotten Realms was fairly similar, but I don't recall the name of the adventure. On the other hand, my first experience of Dragonlance was reading Dragons of Autumn Twilight.

[GimliFett]

The novels are notoriously bad. Never read any of them myself. My first experience of Greyhawk was Temple of Elemental Evil, closely followed by the City of Greyhawk Boxed Set and then From the Ashes. I guess it just depends what you are exposed to by way of first impressions. I think my first experience of the Forgotten Realms was fairly similar, but I don't recall the name of the adventure. On the other hand, my first experience of Dragonlance was reading Dragons of Autumn Twilight.

So true, Matthew. First impressions mean a lot in RPGs, I think.

Book or Adventure? Book rocked. At the time the adventure rocked. Until I decided I wanted to play IN Dragonlance without having to play as one of the Heroes of the Lance. It always felt cheap to me that there was so much WORLD out there, but nothing to do except play the modules based on the books. Except for Icewall. That rocked! Anyway, when Dragonlance released the Taladas stuff, I was ecstatic and we immediately started playing there. Five years of gaming later, we closed the Taladas chapter and left Krynn forever.

[Crazy_Uncle_Doug]

I remember reading the Gord books, way-way-way back. I didn't think they were all that good. Right after I read them, I found Darkwalker on Moonshae and I was sold on Forgotten Realms for years till it became bloated with its own success.

Darkwalker on Moonshae sold you on FR? Lordy, I hated that book with many a passion. Once again, proof that everyone has a different opinion about everything. Like that needed proof.

[Kyeudo]

After our last few Living Greyhawk games, my players were on the verge of attempting to off Lady Karistyne and Rary at the same time. Thats the last time we ran any Living Greyhawk games, and thats been my only experience with the setting.

[Matthew]

So true, Matthew. First impressions mean a lot in RPGs, I think.

Book or Adventure? Book rocked. At the time the adventure rocked. Until I decided I wanted to play IN Dragonlance without having to play as one of the Heroes of the Lance. It always felt cheap to me that there was so much WORLD out there, but nothing to do except play the modules based on the books. Except for Icewall. That rocked! Anyway, when Dragonlance released the Taladas stuff, I was ecstatic and we immediately started playing there. Five years of gaming later, we closed the Taladas chapter and left Krynn forever.

Yeah, I have to admit I read a lot of Dragonlance and Forgotten Realms. I played a fair bit of Forgotten Realms, but not much Dragonlance for pretty much the same reason as you mentioned. I always wanted to play more Dragonlance, but the Fifth Age stuff pretty much put an end to my interest in the setting.