What were we talking about again?
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… Continue reading The Tomb of Azharadian
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,… Continue reading The Curious History of Philidor the Blue Wizard
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… Continue reading Let’s Talk about Al’Akbar of the World of Greyhawk
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… Continue reading Greyhawk: Where We’re All Against the Giants
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… Continue reading LRGCB: The Elements of a Story
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… Continue reading What Drove the Dramatic Increase in Dyvers’ Population?
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… Continue reading Everyone Should Read Chapter 2 of Gem of the Flanaess
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… Continue reading Why Did the City of Greyhawk Slow Down?
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 . .… Continue reading Greyhawk: If We Can Keep Rary from Blowing it Up
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… Continue reading Dyvers: The Alliance is Everywhere
Dyvers has a seedy underbelly that comes from all those cultists of Elemental Evil who fled after the temple fell and I've always assumed that they brought some pretty crazy drugs with them when they fled. Things like "Wizard's Ear," "Elemental Twist," and "Zug Shrooms."
I tend to play a confrontational style of play when it comes to the city of Dyvers. My goal is to run it with a brash abandon that I imagine someone like Larissa Hunter would go for. The city, and its territories, will only stand if it is aggressively defended. To do this, Dyvers, has… Continue reading Dyvers: Come Take It
Dyvers is a land of refugees. In the build up to the Greyhawk Wars, and through their conclusion, the city of Dyvers brought in more than 50,000 refugees who have continued to live there since. There are two ways that you can play this out in your home games. On the one hand you could… Continue reading Dyvers: A Land of Refugees
One of the things about Dyvers that you find repeated, especially if you read Slavers, is that the city is ready to be evacuated at a moment's notice. The people are almost treated as though they are a cowardly lot. And who can blame them? To the north they have Iuz making trouble, to the… Continue reading Dyvers: We Will Not Fall
Dragons Never Forget 