Whereas Greyhawk is probably not the primary setting for use in a Dungeons & Dragons recreation (that honor possible 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 few of the most famed D&D modules happen on this setting developed by Gary Gygax, together with the traditional trilogy Against 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 arduous to compete with the recognition and ubiquity of Forgotten Realms, the D&D setting that has appeared in each kind 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 all around the world in a large, shared journey.
Polygon spoke with Wizards of the Coast’s D&D international play supervisor, Chris Tulach, and Savannah Houston-McIntyre, Baldman Video games’ inventive director, to study all the things there’s to find out about Legends of Greyhawk and why now’s the proper time for D&D’s largest 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 world 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 all the way 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 a bunch of organizer companions, and we’ve month-to-month D&D Past releases to get adventures out on the earth. The journey content material can be optimized to work on D&D Past, with options resembling 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 group by 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 all the way down to their magic merchandise and development programs. Legends of Greyhawk has a slower degree development and stricter limits on magic objects than Adventurers League. In consequence, gamers spend extra time inside every tier, connecting with their character and the story they’re adventuring by, and face challenges with a extra restricted toolkit. Each applications supply improbable experiences; the higher match finally comes all the way down to particular person playstyle. Many gamers additionally take pleasure in taking part in each, appreciating the change of tempo every supplies.
D&D has many distinctive settings, however lately, the sport’s official merchandise have centered 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 introduced, thus most Dungeon Masters which can be operating 5.5e video games have already got entry to the setting data.
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 begin contemporary. Residing 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.
By way of uniqueness, whereas Greyhawk is the inspiration of many points of D&D lore, it’s typically 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 will probably nonetheless really feel mysterious or terrifying to those that don’t wield it. And, after all, it’s the unique dwelling of many iconic areas, 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 taking part in 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 most important 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 completely different experiences. Chris lined a number of distinctions, together with the prevalence of magic and Greyhawk’s grittier environment. Broadly talking, nonetheless, I feel we’re trying on the distinction between epic fantasy and sword-and-sorcery, although each worlds supply large selection throughout their many realms and areas.
Toril (the world on which Faerûn is situated) 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 possible 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 more durable: what are you prepared to threat when no legendary hero is coming to avoid wasting the day? There, you’re anticipated to step into that absence and change into the legend the world wants.
What’s the predominant incentive for gamers to participate within the Legends of Greyhawk organized play? How is that completely different from sitting at dwelling and taking part in 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 for those who don’t have a gentle playgroup at dwelling. With the calls for of each day life, gathering the identical group across the desk each week or month isn’t at all times potential.
Organized play offers individuals one other means in. You possibly can sit down at a desk at a conference, a neighborhood recreation retailer, a house recreation, or a group occasion and instantly really feel such as you belong. You’re not simply taking part in one marketing campaign in isolation; you’re a part of a narrative shared by 1000’s of different gamers.
Residence video games are fantastic and might 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 connect with one thing past your desk.
Generally you convey associates or household alongside for the expertise, however usually you sit down with strangers and rapidly change into a part of a celebration. These connections usually endure lengthy after the session ends, and lots of gamers type lasting friendships by 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 at all times been about connection and constructing group; it’s the one essential characteristic that provides it a bonus over different sorts of tabletop RPG play. As you proceed to play, the connection grows in a means that’s deep, because you’re sharing tales past your desk. Strangers change into 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 use 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: We’ve got three premier organizers at the moment 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 reveals like MegaCon Orlando, Gary Con, and Gamehole Con. West Coast Adventurers Guild is Wolf Miller’s group, they usually do reveals resembling SDCC and WonderCon. Baldman Games is run by David Christ; their reveals embody Gen Con, the PAX reveals, 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 take a look at D&D Beyond’s Legends of Greyhawk webpage. It is an excellent place to study this system and discover video games to play. Our organizer companions’ websites are additionally nice methods to attach, particularly for those who’re in the USA. Different conference organizers can also be operating Legends of Greyhawk video games at reveals close to you; ask the conference organizer in the event that they’re providing Legends of Greyhawk at their occasion.
Globally, the Wizards Store and Event Locator might help you discover a recreation store that’s operating Legends of Greyhawk video games close to you. And for those who 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!
After all, you possibly can at all times play adventures with your house group; about each month, a brand new journey bundle is on the market with 3-4 adventures that take about 2-4 hours every to play. Yow will discover these within the D&D Past Market or the Legends of Greyhawk web page talked about above.
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