Whereas Greyhawk is probably not the primary setting for use in a Dungeons & Dragons recreation (that honor seemingly goes to Dave Arneson’s Blackmoor). However the world of Oerth that it is part of is the primary and most well-known to look within the early official dietary supplements for the tabletop role-playing recreation. A number of the most famous D&D modules happen on this setting developed by Gary Gygax, together with the basic trilogy Towards the Giants and different items of D&D historical past like The Temple of Elemental Evil. D&D 5.5, launched in 2024, returned to Oerth with Greyhawk because the default setting of the core rulebooks.
Nonetheless, it’s onerous to compete with the recognition and ubiquity of Forgotten Realms, the D&D setting that has appeared in each sort of product, from motion pictures to award-winning video video games and Magic units, for the previous three a long time. However D&D’s push to revitalize Greyhawk has a robust weapon in its arsenal: Legends of Greyhawk, the most recent official D&D organized play marketing campaign that goals to attach gamers from everywhere in the world in an enormous, shared journey.
Polygon spoke with Wizards of the Coast’s D&D international play supervisor, Chris Tulach, and Savannah Houston-McIntyre, Baldman Video games’ artistic director, to study all the things there’s to learn about Legends of Greyhawk and why now’s the proper time for D&D’s greatest organized play marketing campaign in 40 years.
This interview has been edited for brevity and readability.
Polygon: What’s Legends of Greyhawk?
Chris Tulach: Legends of Greyhawk is a worldwide shared-world marketing campaign the place gamers aren’t locked into the identical desk every time they play — they’ll take their characters anyplace the marketing campaign is performed.
What’s the distinction between Legends of Greyhawk and different organized play applications like Adventurers League or D&D Encounters?
CT: It comes right down to guidelines implementation, journey content material creation, and distribution. Legends of Greyhawk has been constructed on the shoulders of the giants that got here earlier than it and is being crafted round 5.5e guidelines. Adventures are created by means of a gaggle of organizer companions, and we’ve got month-to-month D&D Past releases to get adventures out on the planet. The journey content material can be optimized to work on D&D Past, with options equivalent to quickplay maps to make it simpler to prep video games.
Adventurers League shares the identical tough construction, however it’s 5e-forward, and content material is created by the neighborhood by means of DM’s Guild. D&D Encounters is a seasonal mini-campaign with an journey pack on D&D Past that spotlights the newest releases and makes use of solely 5.5e guidelines; it has a finite ending of about 5 weeks of play.
Savannah Houston-McIntyre: One of many core variations between Adventurers League and Legends of Greyhawk boils right down to their magic merchandise and development methods. Legends of Greyhawk has a slower degree development and stricter limits on magic gadgets than Adventurers League. Consequently, gamers spend extra time inside every tier, connecting with their character and the story they’re adventuring by means of, and face challenges with a extra restricted toolkit. Each applications provide improbable experiences; the higher match finally comes right down to particular person playstyle. Many gamers additionally take pleasure in collaborating in each, appreciating the change of tempo every supplies.
D&D has many distinctive settings, however lately, the sport’s official merchandise have targeted totally on the Forgotten Realms. So why Greyhawk now? What makes the setting distinctive?
CT: Greyhawk is the setting that’s usually referred to as the “birthplace of D&D.” For the most recent Dungeon Grasp’s Information, it’s the pattern marketing campaign world that’s offered, thus most Dungeon Masters which can be operating 5.5e video games have already got entry to the setting info.
We determined that it was time as soon as once more to have an organized play marketing campaign set in an iconic D&D setting that wasn’t Forgotten Realms, since Greyhawk was accessible inside our core rulebooks, had not been supported in Adventurers League, and provided journey content material creators a chance to start out contemporary. Dwelling Greyhawk, the third version/3.5 organized play flagship setting, was extremely widespread on the time it was launched, and we knew that some gamers adored the setting, so a return to it’s a very long time coming.
When it comes to uniqueness, whereas Greyhawk is the muse of many facets of D&D lore, it’s usually a bit grittier than settings just like the Forgotten Realms and Eberron. Know-how is rather less superior, and magic, whereas comparatively frequent, isn’t built-in into on a regular basis life — it might probably nonetheless really feel mysterious or terrifying to those that don’t wield it. And, in fact, it’s the unique dwelling of many iconic places, such because the Tomb of Horrors, Temple of Elemental Evil, Misplaced Caverns of Tsojcanth, and White Plume Mountain. Greyhawk is a sword-and-sorcery-inspired setting that makes you are feeling as if you’re enjoying in a land that echoes with the greatness of the legacy of the sport itself.
Savannah can be engaged on Forgotten Realms merchandise with the setting’s creator, Ed Greenwood, because the Senior Designer on RealmsBound. What are the largest variations between Faerûn and Greyhawk?
SHM: I’ve a deep love and reverence for each settings. Though they share many foundations, they use these components to create very totally different experiences. Chris coated a number of distinctions, together with the prevalence of magic and Greyhawk’s grittier ambiance. Broadly talking, nonetheless, I believe we’re wanting on the distinction between epic fantasy and sword-and-sorcery, although each worlds provide great selection throughout their many realms and areas.
Toril (the world on which Faerûn is positioned) is a world the place magic, deities, and legendary figures are woven visibly into on a regular basis life. Its historical past feels huge, a story constructed over a long time by a large number of authors and merchandise throughout media. Gamers are invited to enter that tapestry and discover their place inside it.
Oerth (the world of the Greyhawk setting) feels extra precarious. Its areas are caught in political tensions, historical evils linger on the periphery, and people with the facility to intervene are seemingly compromised or preoccupied with their very own designs. Good doesn’t triumph just because heroes have arrived; the world is simply too darkish to supply such ensures.
That distinction is what resonates with me most. Faerûn invitations you to hitch a lineage of lore, to rise alongside the legendary heroes the world already reveres as its champions and caretakers, and to make your mark amongst them. Greyhawk asks one thing tougher: what are you prepared to danger when no legendary hero is coming to avoid wasting the day? There, you might be anticipated to step into that absence and grow to be the legend the world wants.
What’s the major incentive for gamers to participate within the Legends of Greyhawk organized play? How is that totally different from sitting at dwelling and enjoying a standard marketing campaign within the Greyhawk setting?
SHM: The first incentives are connection and accessibility. Legends of Greyhawk is a welcoming entry level to tabletop gaming, particularly in the event you don’t have a gradual playgroup at dwelling. With the calls for of every day life, gathering the identical group across the desk each week or month isn’t all the time doable.
Organized play provides individuals one other method in. You may sit down at a desk at a conference, a neighborhood recreation retailer, a house recreation, or a neighborhood occasion and instantly really feel such as you belong. You’re not simply enjoying one marketing campaign in isolation; you’re a part of a narrative shared by hundreds of different gamers.
House video games are great and may be deeply private, however Legends of Greyhawk makes the world really feel larger. Your character turns into half of a bigger story. The individuals you meet and the adventures you share all hook up with one thing past your desk.
Typically you deliver associates or household alongside for the expertise, however usually you sit down with strangers and rapidly grow to be a part of a celebration. These connections usually endure lengthy after the session ends, and lots of gamers kind lasting friendships by means of organized play.
CT: I’ve been concerned in constructing D&D organized play settings for properly over 25 years, and Legends of Greyhawk attracts on classes from all these previous applications.
Organized play has all the time been about connection and constructing neighborhood; it’s the one important characteristic that offers it a bonus over different varieties of tabletop RPG play. As you proceed to play, the connection grows in a method that’s deep, because you’re sharing tales past your desk. Strangers grow to be your shut associates and your subsequent dwelling group.
Accessibility is the one space that Legends of Greyhawk seeks to enhance upon previous applications. We’re addressing this by having the marketing campaign begin with the 5.5e core rulebooks. That makes it simpler to grasp what books you should utilize to create a personality. We’re additionally streamlining the foundations round leveling and treasure acquisition to make it simple to leap in and see your path for continued play.
Who’re the Premier Organizers concerned?
CT: Now we have three premier organizers at present in this system which can be additionally third-party creators for our adventures. GameConclave is headed up by Thomas Valley; their group does D&D organized play at exhibits like MegaCon Orlando, Gary Con, and Gamehole Con. West Coast Adventurers Guild is Wolf Miller’s group, they usually do exhibits equivalent to SDCC and WonderCon. Baldman Video games is run by David Christ; their exhibits embody Gen Con, the PAX exhibits, Origins, Winter Fantasy, and a month-to-month on-line conference referred to as Digital D&D Weekends.
How can gamers and DMs partake in Legends of Greyhawk?
CT: The very first thing you are able to do is try D&D Past’s Legends of Greyhawk webpage. It is an ideal place to study this system and discover video games to play. Our organizer companions’ websites are additionally nice methods to attach, particularly in the event you’re in the US. Different conference organizers can also be operating Legends of Greyhawk video games at exhibits close to you; ask the conference organizer in the event that they’re providing Legends of Greyhawk at their occasion.
Globally, the Wizards Retailer and Occasion Locator might help you discover a recreation store that’s operating Legends of Greyhawk video games close to you. And in the event you simply wish to join with others who’re searching for video games, the official D&D Discord has a channel for Legends of Greyhawk and a “searching for group/DM” channel too!
In fact, you’ll be able to all the time play adventures with your property group; about each month, a brand new journey bundle is obtainable with 3-4 adventures that take about 2-4 hours every to play. You could find these within the D&D Past Market or the Legends of Greyhawk web page talked about above.
