Knights of the Watch, A Greyhawk Knightly Order

The Knights of the Watch were formed several centuries ago from the remnants of an older order, whose name is lost to time, located in the Gran March.  Their original mandate was for the protection of the lands of the Sheldomar Valley (an area which encompasses the nations of Keoland, Gran March, Bissel, and Geoff)…

Sheldomar Valley Political Map

Over the last few days I've been a little fascinated by the Sheldomar Valley. The area between the Lortmil Mountains and the Crystalmist Mountains is home to a series of small wars that coincided with the greater Greyhawk War that took up the majority of the continent's attention. I made this version of the map…

Forgotten Greyhawk: Gonduria

Last night I was up reading about the world of Greyhawk when I ran across the name of the fourth continent: Gonduria. The continent only appeared in print twice. The first time was in 1985's Sagard the Barbarian Game Book: The Ice Dragon by Gary Gygax and Flint Dille. This was a Hero's Challenge book…

Bibgy was Never a Good Man

Bigby is back in the Dungeons & Dragons lexicon again. He's being used in the world of the Forgotten Realms where his dark past as a necromancer is largely forgotten and swept under the stage. It shouldn't be. Bigby should be a complicated character. He should be cautious, and careful in how he operates -…

Keep Your Secrets

One of the aspects of the world of Greyhawk that I have always found so fascinating is the idea that you're existing in a world on the edge of war. It's something that over the last few years I've spent a lot of time working on. I want the world to feel like it's more…

The Tomb of Azharadian

One of the interesting places that Wizards of the Coast brought to the fore during the 3e era of Greyhawk was the Tomb of Azharadian. The Tomb was clearly meant to be an adventure hook, but it’s one that I think missed an opportunity to provide the world with something more meaningful. Let’s look at…

The Curious History of Philidor the Blue Wizard

A wizard casting spells from his magic circle by the light of his cauldron surrounded by creatures. by J. Wood 1763 Carl Sargent introduced a treasure trove of curiosities to the World of Greyhawk during the early 1990s as he helped reshape the setting, but perhaps none was more tantalizing than Philidor the Blue Wizard,…

Let’s Talk about Al’Akbar of the World of Greyhawk

Unless you're really into the world of Greyhawk it's unlikely that you've encountered the demi-god Al'Akbar and the True Faith that surrounds his worship. So let's talk a little bit about that. The Palace Guard by Ludwig Deutsch The first mention of Al'Akbar came in the Strategic Review Volume 2, No. 2 from April 1976…

Greyhawk: Where We’re All Against the Giants

One of the things that I find so fascinating about the world of Greyhawk is how so many people choose to live on the shores of they Nyr Dyv even though it's got terrible storms, sea monsters, disappearing islands (that just as suddenly reappear), pirates, and all manner of unnamed dangers. Yet people keep on…

LRGCB: The Elements of a Story

I mentioned last week that everyone should read Chapter 2: DM's Guide to the City Campaign because it provides a ton of advice for game masters of all stripes and today I wanted to focus on the six elements of a story that Douglas Niles identified. These elements are: VillainForeshadowingMysteryChallengeTimingReward Let's talk a little bit…

What Drove the Dramatic Increase in Dyvers’ Population?

In the World of Greyhawk boxed set the City of Dyvers has a population of 53,000 when you take in not only the city itself but its surrounding territory. By the time the Living Greyhawk Gazetteer is published the city has grown in population to 128,000 - more than doubling the original number! What drove…

Everyone Should Read Chapter 2 of Gem of the Flanaess

Shut up. I realized that I just posted yesterday that the City of Greyhawk stuff will all be on Mondays, but I just finished Chapter 2 of the first booklet: Gem of the Flanaess and everyone should read this chapter. DM's Guide to the City Campaign is a love letter to game masters everywhere as…

Why Did the City of Greyhawk Slow Down?

I got a DM on twitter the other day that asked why I had stopped writing down my thoughts on the City of Greyhawk and I thought I would take a moment to explain. I had been working with an old copy I bought in a Used Book store a couple of years ago. It…

Greyhawk: If We Can Keep Rary from Blowing it Up

One of the defining moments in the Greyhawk lore occurs when Rary goes from being a trusted member of the Circle into a traitor. Rary was an interesting choice for this turn as prior to the event his character was described as: . . . quiet, dignified, and a skilled mediator and peacemaker . .…

Dyvers: The Alliance is Everywhere

Dyvers doesn't have a thieves guild like the city of Greyhawk, instead they have a gang known as the Alliance. According to Slavers, the Alliance was formed by several competing crime families so that they could take out their rivals together. This feels more like a mafia thing than a gang, and if that's how…