Okay so 5.5 is set in Greyhawk (wait... was Penny Arcade commissioned to set their campaign in Greyhawk?) and I never heard of it till Penny Arcade added it in their streams.
That's totally fine! Greyhawk is a very important setting in the history of Dungeons & Dragons and it gives great insights into the mind of Gary Gygax and what he thought the game should be.
BUT
It's not mandatory reading. So long as you are having fun, you are doing just fine. I'm looking forward to the updated DMG and seeing how it treats Greyhawk.
Personally, I hope that Bastions is a nod toward the Birthright setting - which you probably haven't heard of either! :D
Honestly, I'm not sure most people can tell the difference between Greyhawk, FR, and Generic Fantasy World unless you're using specific identifiable names.
Okay so 5.5 is set in Greyhawk (wait... was Penny Arcade commissioned to set their campaign in Greyhawk?) and I never heard of it till Penny Arcade added it in their streams.
That's an over interpretation of what we know. Greyhawk will be provided in the DMG as an example on how to build a game world. Greyhawk is an arguably simpler, definitely less bloated, game world than Forgotten Realms or Dragonlance, and covers all the bases of let's call it "core D&D" in a way Eberon, Ravinica, Dark Sun, etc don't. In the DMG, Greyhawk will be an example. It's unclear whether it will in fact become the default setting of future Dungeons and Dragons campaigns. 5e to date has been further and further leaning into setting agnostic, let the DM and players build their own worlds, rather than invest in established settings to the degree past editions did.
But even in a world of broken search algorithms, if you type Greyhawk into an engine, it's legacy in Dungeons and Dragons is pretty easy to sort out, like, most of the spells named after a Wizard, and a lot of the magic items with someone's name attached ... by far most of them came from D&D's original creator's Greyhawk campaign. Vecna was originally a bad guy in Greyhawk, etc. So while you may never have heard of Greyhawk, Greyhawk likely influenced the D&D you play nevertheless.
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Jander Sunstar is the thinking person's Drizzt, fight me.
It's unclear whether it will in fact become the default setting of future Dungeons and Dragons campaigns. 5e to date has been further and further leaning into setting agnostic, let the DM and players build their own worlds, rather than invest in established settings to the degree past editions did..
Your statement here is inarguable. With that said, I miss having new products that described the Forgotten Realms (and other settings) in detail and could spark new adventure ideas. I get that many people want to create their own worlds. I can only wonder how many of those world building exercises end up being too daunting and killing a campaign. I know all too well what it's like to have dreams that are too big when it comes to campaign creation - I have to assume there are a fair few people like me who don't have the time or the discipline to create something unique that can draw players in.
It's unclear whether it will in fact become the default setting of future Dungeons and Dragons campaigns. 5e to date has been further and further leaning into setting agnostic, let the DM and players build their own worlds, rather than invest in established settings to the degree past editions did..
Your statement here is inarguable. With that said, I miss having new products that described the Forgotten Realms (and other settings) in detail and could spark new adventure ideas. I get that many people want to create their own worlds. I can only wonder how many of those world building exercises end up being too daunting and killing a campaign. I know all too well what it's like to have dreams that are too big when it comes to campaign creation - I have to assume there are a fair few people like me who don't have the time or the discipline to create something unique that can draw players in.
I'm not sure whether the lower investment in settings products is necessarily "good." Planescape and Spelljammer as conscious setting presentation products were really disappointing to me, very pale in comparison to their prior edition namesakes. But I thought VGtR was a really good toolkit.
Bluesky thinking, and I see no indication of this but it would be pretty to think so, rather than necessarily churn out physical setting products, maybe marry the VTT to a sort of World Anvil type product where DMs who wanted could manage their own game worlds, but also use it to support official settings. Like users could subscribe to Forgotten Realms so they'd get a FR world management tool, plus like the equivalent of adventure paths or world event campaigns to play through in a more dynamic, living world. Just a thought. I'm not "against" world products, but I think I understand the current position as a business, but I think that position also neglects a potential innovation (using World Anvil or other world building tools and integrating them into the DDB to VTT spectrum product they seem to be striving toward.
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Jander Sunstar is the thinking person's Drizzt, fight me.
It's unclear whether it will in fact become the default setting of future Dungeons and Dragons campaigns. 5e to date has been further and further leaning into setting agnostic, let the DM and players build their own worlds, rather than invest in established settings to the degree past editions did..
Your statement here is inarguable. With that said, I miss having new products that described the Forgotten Realms (and other settings) in detail and could spark new adventure ideas. I get that many people want to create their own worlds. I can only wonder how many of those world building exercises end up being too daunting and killing a campaign. I know all too well what it's like to have dreams that are too big when it comes to campaign creation - I have to assume there are a fair few people like me who don't have the time or the discipline to create something unique that can draw players in.
I'm not sure whether the lower investment in settings products is necessarily "good." Planescape and Spelljammer as conscious setting presentation products were really disappointing to me, very pale in comparison to their prior edition namesakes. But I thought VGtR was a really good toolkit.
Bluesky thinking, and I see no indication of this but it would be pretty to think so, rather than necessarily churn out physical setting products, maybe marry the VTT to a sort of World Anvil type product where DMs who wanted could manage their own game worlds, but also use it to support official settings. Like users could subscribe to Forgotten Realms so they'd get a FR world management tool, plus like the equivalent of adventure paths or world event campaigns to play through in a more dynamic, living world. Just a thought. I'm not "against" world products, but I think I understand the current position as a business, but I think that position also neglects a potential innovation (using World Anvil or other world building tools and integrating them into the DDB to VTT spectrum product they seem to be striving toward.
Sign me up please! I love the concept.
And while I do understand that campaign setting products don't sell as well as a book of 90% player options I can't believe there is no market for them. Planescape and Spelljammer were disappointing because they decided to give so little space to the actual campaign resources in my opinion. Fully agreed that the Ravenloft guide was a much better product.
Greyhawk was the default setting for 3rd edition. In less than two years, the Forgotten Realms had completely displaced it and functionally became the default setting for 3E.
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Find your own truth, choose your enemies carefully, and never deal with a dragon.
"Canon" is what's factual to D&D lore. "Cannon" is what you're going to be shot with if you keep getting the word wrong.
While Greyhawk was the default setting for 1e and continued on in editions that followed, Forgotten Realms was introduced in 1e as well and gained popularity over time. After Gary Gygax was removed from TSR, the Forgotten Realms was focused on and many sub-settings originally set for part of Oerth ended up in the Realms. While both settings continued through 2e, the focus for products remained on the Realms.
3e/3.5 used the Greyhawk pantheon for the PHB but supplemental products continued to focus and expand on the Realms. I didn't get into 4e but to my understanding it tried to get away from both and then returned to the Realms though the Spellplague was not widely appreciated.
Honestly, I'm not sure most people can tell the difference between Greyhawk, FR, and Generic Fantasy World unless you're using specific identifiable names.
Greyhawk was humancentric. With points of light (Civilization) facing the darkness of evil x,y,z. It had limited races. The Races did not get along with each other. And every player knew each DM made Greyhawk their own once they started running in it. AKA Jasper I don't give a blank about what Gary's article said in the latest dragon, magic missile machine guns exist.
One great thing about the 1980 map and following modules/Adventures is the key. Some of modules who give you the hex number the adventure took place. So you could place on the map, or see that map had high mountains like the Rockies,; and then on you personal world draw the hex in where you wanted it.
OF course, I am not saying having the Rockies mountains next to fantasy Egypt didn't happen. But it could.
Honestly when I was playing in the early 80's none of the people around me were using crafted worlds.
And with out social media and online information we really didn't grasp what Greyhawk as all about. I think Forgotten Realms may have gone down the same road but for the fact that there were lots of books based in the realm. AND all the video games that came out starting with Pool of Radiance.
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Okay so 5.5 is set in Greyhawk (wait... was Penny Arcade commissioned to set their campaign in Greyhawk?) and I never heard of it till Penny Arcade added it in their streams.
That's totally fine! Greyhawk is a very important setting in the history of Dungeons & Dragons and it gives great insights into the mind of Gary Gygax and what he thought the game should be.
BUT
It's not mandatory reading. So long as you are having fun, you are doing just fine. I'm looking forward to the updated DMG and seeing how it treats Greyhawk.
Personally, I hope that Bastions is a nod toward the Birthright setting - which you probably haven't heard of either! :D
Honestly, I'm not sure most people can tell the difference between Greyhawk, FR, and Generic Fantasy World unless you're using specific identifiable names.
That's an over interpretation of what we know. Greyhawk will be provided in the DMG as an example on how to build a game world. Greyhawk is an arguably simpler, definitely less bloated, game world than Forgotten Realms or Dragonlance, and covers all the bases of let's call it "core D&D" in a way Eberon, Ravinica, Dark Sun, etc don't. In the DMG, Greyhawk will be an example. It's unclear whether it will in fact become the default setting of future Dungeons and Dragons campaigns. 5e to date has been further and further leaning into setting agnostic, let the DM and players build their own worlds, rather than invest in established settings to the degree past editions did.
But even in a world of broken search algorithms, if you type Greyhawk into an engine, it's legacy in Dungeons and Dragons is pretty easy to sort out, like, most of the spells named after a Wizard, and a lot of the magic items with someone's name attached ... by far most of them came from D&D's original creator's Greyhawk campaign. Vecna was originally a bad guy in Greyhawk, etc. So while you may never have heard of Greyhawk, Greyhawk likely influenced the D&D you play nevertheless.
Jander Sunstar is the thinking person's Drizzt, fight me.
Your statement here is inarguable. With that said, I miss having new products that described the Forgotten Realms (and other settings) in detail and could spark new adventure ideas. I get that many people want to create their own worlds. I can only wonder how many of those world building exercises end up being too daunting and killing a campaign. I know all too well what it's like to have dreams that are too big when it comes to campaign creation - I have to assume there are a fair few people like me who don't have the time or the discipline to create something unique that can draw players in.
The Birthright setting is home to my favorite memories of DnD. Not for everyone, but I always loved it.
I'm not sure whether the lower investment in settings products is necessarily "good." Planescape and Spelljammer as conscious setting presentation products were really disappointing to me, very pale in comparison to their prior edition namesakes. But I thought VGtR was a really good toolkit.
Bluesky thinking, and I see no indication of this but it would be pretty to think so, rather than necessarily churn out physical setting products, maybe marry the VTT to a sort of World Anvil type product where DMs who wanted could manage their own game worlds, but also use it to support official settings. Like users could subscribe to Forgotten Realms so they'd get a FR world management tool, plus like the equivalent of adventure paths or world event campaigns to play through in a more dynamic, living world. Just a thought. I'm not "against" world products, but I think I understand the current position as a business, but I think that position also neglects a potential innovation (using World Anvil or other world building tools and integrating them into the DDB to VTT spectrum product they seem to be striving toward.
Jander Sunstar is the thinking person's Drizzt, fight me.
Sign me up please! I love the concept.
And while I do understand that campaign setting products don't sell as well as a book of 90% player options I can't believe there is no market for them. Planescape and Spelljammer were disappointing because they decided to give so little space to the actual campaign resources in my opinion. Fully agreed that the Ravenloft guide was a much better product.
Greyhawk was the default setting for 3rd edition. In less than two years, the Forgotten Realms had completely displaced it and functionally became the default setting for 3E.
Find your own truth, choose your enemies carefully, and never deal with a dragon.
"Canon" is what's factual to D&D lore. "Cannon" is what you're going to be shot with if you keep getting the word wrong.
While Greyhawk was the default setting for 1e and continued on in editions that followed, Forgotten Realms was introduced in 1e as well and gained popularity over time. After Gary Gygax was removed from TSR, the Forgotten Realms was focused on and many sub-settings originally set for part of Oerth ended up in the Realms. While both settings continued through 2e, the focus for products remained on the Realms.
3e/3.5 used the Greyhawk pantheon for the PHB but supplemental products continued to focus and expand on the Realms. I didn't get into 4e but to my understanding it tried to get away from both and then returned to the Realms though the Spellplague was not widely appreciated.
Greyhawk was humancentric. With points of light (Civilization) facing the darkness of evil x,y,z. It had limited races. The Races did not get along with each other. And every player knew each DM made Greyhawk their own once they started running in it. AKA Jasper I don't give a blank about what Gary's article said in the latest dragon, magic missile machine guns exist.
One great thing about the 1980 map and following modules/Adventures is the key. Some of modules who give you the hex number the adventure took place. So you could place on the map, or see that map had high mountains like the Rockies,; and then on you personal world draw the hex in where you wanted it.
OF course, I am not saying having the Rockies mountains next to fantasy Egypt didn't happen. But it could.
No Gaming is Better than Bad Gaming.
Strangely, I mainly remember it being the first expansion book for my original D&D set.
TO DEFEND: THIS IS THE PACT.
BUT WHEN LIFE LOSES ITS VALUE,
AND IS TAKEN FOR NAUGHT-
THEN THE PACT IS, TO AVENGE.
Honestly when I was playing in the early 80's none of the people around me were using crafted worlds.
And with out social media and online information we really didn't grasp what Greyhawk as all about. I think Forgotten Realms may have gone down the same road but for the fact that there were lots of books based in the realm. AND all the video games that came out starting with Pool of Radiance.