World of Greyhawk Campaign: Anne Brown 1993

Welcome back Greyhawk mavens! I've been going through my RPG collection recently and trying to decide which stuff I should sell/trade off and which to keep. Needless to say, I'm very attached to my 1E and BECMI D&D stuff. Then my 2E and 3E era stuff is hit or miss. If it's Greyhawk related I keep it naturally. One item I almost put in the sell section was the hardback 1993 TSR Master Catalog. I did a post on this rare find back in 2013 and I just realized while I posted a picture of the World of Greyhawk foreword by Anne Brown, I didn't really talk about the article itself. It's so good, let's just read the entire thing. One more thing, if someone EVER asks you to describe the Greyhawk setting and why you should play it, point them to this article by Anne Brown! Enjoy!

The WORLD OF GREYHAWK campaign 

by Anne Brown 

    "Through clearing smoke and settling dust, refugees and tired soldiers make their way across a scarred landscape. The wars are finally over, and nations struggle to establish borders, alliances, and protective forces. Scarlet Brotherhood spies infiltrate every corner of the land. An undead king's grip tightens on unsuspecting nations. The Circle of Eight, the most famous clique of wizards across the continent, has scattered to the four winds, two of its members dead and one of them turned traitor. 

    What remain are danger, intrigue, and adventure-opportunities and treasures for those intrepid enough to seek them. Spies must be ferreted out, vital supply lines must be kept open, and victims of war crimes and injustice must be rescued. Perpetrators must be made to answer for their evil deeds."

Good intro! This sums up the state of the Flanaess post-Greyhawk Wars and leading into From the Ashes era. Evil is ascendant and the wars while over, are still simmering. Back then we are still a way off from the Return of the Eight, and the reversals of war leading into the Living Greyhawk Gazetteer. Let's continue...

    "The WORLD OF GREYHAWK campaign setting, the oldest world devised or the ADVANCED DUNGEONS & DRAGONS game, is a land of chivalry, valiant knights, heinous villains, and wrongs waiting to be righted. It has stood the test of time as a gaming ground, boasting such adventures as Temple of Elemental Evil, Tomb of Horrors, and Vecna Lives! It provided a starting point for thousands of AD&D game players, young and old.

    The GREYHAWK setting is also home to some of the most famous names in the ADVANCED DUNGEONS & DRAGONS game-Mordenkainen, Bigby, Tenser, Rary, Vecna, Iuz, Zagyg, and more. These heroes and villains have no doubt both saved and threatened the necks of all player characters over the years. Their influence is unmistakable and their absence would be painful."

Greyhawk does benefit from being the innovator. Really the only thing you need to know is classic adventures and famous D&D personages is what separates Greyhawk from all the others. The examples Anne lists are perfect, even Vecna Lives! which is not highly regarded for its quality is now very relevant in 5E. Like she says, the absence of these names associated with their famous spells and magic items is a grave mistake. Greyhawk's influence reverberates through all D&D history. Moving on...

    "The famed City of Greyhawk, described in its own boxed set, is a gaming jewel in its own right. Filled with interesting characters from Mayor Nerof Gasgal (a former member of the thieves' guild) right down to gamblers and street urchins, this bustling metropolis is filled with adventure and intrigue. It boasts a marketplace, gambling house, opera house, museum, wizards' academy, and library. It is a city inhabited by thieves, merchants, wizards of all levels, sewer zombies, and plenty of friendly, ordinary folk.

    Like any civilized continent, Greyhawk is not without its problems. Raiding barbarians, evil necromancers, and the occasional dragon have all beleaguered innocents and adventurers alike. It would be a boring land without interesting villains."

Anne leads into the City of Greyhawk which is literally the center of this great setting. Since the boxed set she mentioned, the city has had timeline updates and additions through the editions. Whatever source you use for the Gem of the Flanaess, the description here holds true. There is more...

"The Winds of War

    In recent years, political frictions built into the campaign world came to a boil. Deceit, treachery, double-dealing, and expansionism desired by greedy leaders all took their toll. Shaky alliances fell and armies mounted by forces of evil besieged coveted lands. Horrible tales of war machines, destructive wizardry, and massive humanoid armies on the march are now told in every inn, tavern, and outpost.

    For two long years, the nations of the Flanaess schemed, murdered, and warred against each other until nearly all sides lay bloodied and beaten: war had exhausted the land and the people. Furyondy, and Iuz ground to a stalemate; Nyrond's vast coffers drained dry and its overtaxed peasants grew rebellious; the Great Kingdom shattered into a swarm of petty landholdings vying for power; Keoland ought invasion on all sides; countless men, dwarves, elves, and orcs marched off to war, never to return; farms stood empty; fields lay fallow... the Flanaess could war no longer.

    The leaders of the fatigued nations finally agreed to a truce-no small undertaking. Each nation sent ambassadors to the Free City of Greyhawk. Six months of strained negotiations commenced, and in the end, came the Day of the Great Signing. Finally, the nations of the Flanaess rested in an uneasy peace. The documents were signed. But across the countryside, the world was far from peaceful."

So again, Anne lets us know war is a major backdrop of the setting. This is another huge selling point for the setting. Only Birthright really goes more into medieval fantasy warfare than Greyhawk does. From its war gaming roots, Gary Gygax's Greyhawk was meant to have this kind of continent-wide conflict. She goes on to name-drop some of the most important kingdoms on the map and finishes with the event that leads to the unfortunate Rary the Traitor. What comes next from Anne Brown?

"After the War

    The GREYHAWK campaign setting now offers more gaming opportunities than ever before. In December 1991. the original boxed set was amended by the Greyhawk Wars boxed set, describing the status of the war and providing a complete wargame, allowing fans of the setting to play out the events of the war.

    In October 1992, the game line was again amended by a boxed set, entitled From the Ashes. This set provides a complete update describing the aftermath of the war, and includes new maps, encounters, and gaming hooks. Countless rumors and whispered tales are included as fuel for the imagination of the DUNGEON MASTER.

    From the Ashes also includes new non-player characters to provide player characters with tour guides and enemies. These folks run the range from law enforcing rangers and patrols to mischievous wizards and fiendish undead creatures. Of course, plenty of friendly natives, grumpy dwarves, and sly elves fill in the gaps.

    The most powerful creatures in the world of GREYHAWK, the gods themselves, are also detailed in this boxed set. Major deities are outlined to provide both players and the DM with just enough to understand their workings but still keep them guessing."

  Anne brings it back to the stuff being sold in the catalog. I would not recommend Greyhawk Wars for a campaign simulation, but it makes for a fun boardgame. Like or not, From the Ashes does indeed build on previous published Greyhawk. The 90's was of course the golden age of prolific author Carl Sargent and sourcebooks like Iuz the Evil, Marklands and the unpublished Ivid the Undying; all would go on to add an abundance of new lore undreamt of during the Gygax era. Let's finish this off...

  

    "The lands of Greyhawk will be recovering from the wars for decades. Certain areas are wild as ever, while some regions, once safe, have fallen under evil influence. Skirting the Scarlet Brotherhood spies, avoiding the eye of Iuz, and eluding Ivid and his undead will make for years of memorable gaming!"

Well said Anne Brown! Built off this momentum in 1993, Greyhawk would go on to have even more 2E updates and adventures, then it was made the core world of 3.5E D&D. This was the peak of the Greyhawk setting; featured by Paizo Publishing in dozens of adventures for Dungeon magazine and was the setting for the unmatched Living Greyhawk campaign where players from all over the world created hundreds more modules for several years. Though the star has faded since then, Greyhawk lore continues to influence modern D&D for all the reasons Anne listed above. If you are just now learning about the World of Greyhawk, the 90's is actually a great place to start because it has all the wondrous simplicity of 80's Greyhawk with a respectable amount of gritty new adventure seeds and you won't get overwhelmed by all the published lore that comes out in the 2000's. Thanks again, Anne for writing this article.  

2E Greyhawk Wars Campaign: Schnai Civil War

Well met Greyhawk historians! It's time for another installment of my old 1990's 2E campaign. If you've been following, you'll know this was more than just a war backdrop, our players were integral to the politics of the Flanaess. If you're just visiting this column for the first time go back and read from my list of wars below (It might make more sense if you read the Iuz-Furyondy War after I fill in the middle wars). Once you are ready, prepare to be entertained by the epic barbarian saga known as the Schnai Civil War. As usual I've made a keyed map so you can follow along with the narrative. Enjoy!

Great North War 605 CY to 609 CY
Great Kingdom War of Succession 610 CY to 611 CY
Pomarj-Celene War 610 CY to 613 CY
3-Month aka "Scarlet" War 613 CY
Schnai Civil War 615 CY

Aerdy Civil Wars 615-616 CY
The Greyhawk Wars aka "The Bandit War" 617 CY to 618 CY
Battle of Bellport Harbor 623 CY
Iuz-Furyondy War 627 CY to 629 CY (Part 1, Part 2, Part 3)

Schnai Civil War

Prelude 611-614 CY: 

In 611 CY the allied barbarian kingdoms, collectively known as Rhizia, had liberated allied realm of Ratik from Bone March’s evil grip. Surging through Kalmar Pass, the barbarian horde eventually sacked Spinecastle, thus conquering and occupying Bone March. Newly crowned Overking Grenell was not troubled by this development for he had been busy securing the Malachite Throne with the help of Holy Censor Spidasa. It was Spidasa in fact that had conspired with King Orvung of Schnai to rescind his support for adopted Rhizian, Juma Dain (Naelax) to the throne, in return setting the stage for the Schnai led occupation of the Sea Barons; an act that crippled Lord Mayor Drax’s (House Rax) main support in his doomed bid to be overking.¹

By 613 CY, Herzog Cromwell of the North Province was at odds with Rhizia, which had gradually extended their occupation to include the Aerdian coastal towns of Johnsport and Bellport.² This was a violation of Spidasa and Orvung’s secret truce, but the much-celebrated king made no effort to slow his peoples advances. In time, the Rhizian alliance managed to negotiate a steady peace with Herzog Cromwell whose loyalty was conflicted due to his own Cruskii heritage. In 614 CY, the strain of keeping peace with Rhizia and increasing pressure from Aerdy spurred Cromwell to abdicate rule of the North Province.³ The affable mercenary-turned noble, departed his palace in the dead of night and ventured into the west. With the Great Kingdom’s rule crumbling in the north, Spidasa vowed to Overking Grenell that he had a plan to end Rhizia without shedding a drop of Aerdian blood.

January 615

An opportunity presented itself, when news quickly spread from Rhizia that Vatun had chosen the failed-usurper prince Juma Dain to be the next Night Shadow, a holy order of barbarian heroes whose influence in large part held the Barbarian Alliance together. This time however, the selection of a foreigner caused cracks to form in the alliance. Most nobles in Cruskii and Fruz celebrated the choice and saw it as a sign to renew their crusade to throw down the Great Kingdom. But many others, mainly from Schnai were incensed, claiming it as further proof that the selection of new Night Shadows every five years was in fact rigged by Vatun’s priesthood.⁴

A): In a secret meeting near Bellport, Censor Spidasa of Medegia forged a pact with Schnai nobles Gorm, ruler of Johnsport and his visiting cousin Jarl Balgrim, a famed warchief from the Great North War. The scheming cleric played on the northmens’ greed, predicting that their clans stood to gain control of all Schnai if King Orvung were to perish. To this end, Spidasa instructed the pair to use the simmering Schnai schism over Juma Dain as leverage to provoke a civil war in the kingdom of the Snow Barbarians. A vicious rumor was soon spread that Jarl Vorlag König of Königsheim, a supporter of Juma Dain, was plotting to usurp King Orvung and lead the north into another costly war against the Great Kingdom.

B): To aid the evil plot, Spidasa arranged wagonloads of new armaments to be smuggled into Bellport for Gorm and Balgrim’s warriors. Before tensions had even flared in the north, Gorm was loading his men on longships and set sail back to Schnai to bolster his cousin’s forces.

February 615

King Orvung was predictably enraged to learn Jarl Vorlag was building up his army (and navy) with the intention to overthrow him come spring. The king had grown older and paranoid since the last couple wars; his dubious dealings with Aerdi still weighed heavily on his conscience. Additionally, Orvung railed at the Rhizian alliance and the Night Shadows as their influence had diminished what was once the mightiest Rhizian kingdom.⁵ The Jarldom of Königsheim tried, but could not assuage the fears of the king or his hersirs, and soon many real clashes began to break out on the borderlands.

March 615

C): Tempers finally increased to a fever pitch as Balgrim fanned the king’s paranoia with more false reports. Orvung called on his loyal jarls to rally to his banner to put down the traitorous Königs and their conspirators. Orvung’s son, the Night Shadow Leif the Noisy did not remain neutral in the growing conflict as he came to his father’s aid with 300 veteran thanes from their eastern clan holding. Jarl Boren was also eager to join their fighters to the cause, sending 800 men to Soull. In the northern fringes of the Corusk highlands, the town of Knudje responded with 700 hardy warriors and met with Jarl Odred’s 800 hillmen to march towards Königsheim. Even Jarl Elgar was lured into the conflict, bringing 800 thanes south, assured that rival Jarl Lär was in on the König plot.

D): Lär had not mobilized its 800 warriors until consequently their rivals Elgar had moved first, thus inflaming the civil war more when they joined the König defense. To the south, Jarl Holdann could no longer sit by and watch. His clan had been fast compatriots of Vorlag during the wars and so 900 seasoned fighters sailed by longship to Königsheim. 

E): King Orvung was deceived again by Balgrim, who was in turn fooled by the influence of Spidasa. Wanting to utterly crush the growing Königsheim faction, the king called back all his loyal hersirs from the occupied Sea Barons, effectively deserting the isles they had so long sought to conquer, and allowed exiled Admiral Sencho Foy to return to rule of Asperdi Isle by summer. These forces, led by Bardir (500) and Hrölfson (500) were eager to defend their king and would arrive on the Königsheim coast by May.

April 615

The stern Night Shadows could see that the alliance was in danger of collapsing due to the Schnai Civil War. Their appeal for Leif Orvungson to calm his father was met with silence in the longhouse of King Orvung. Even the Night Shadow bard, Harald Husavik could not temper the arguments that ensued that day.

F): While the kings of Fruz and Cruskii were counseled to remain neutral, the Night Shadow order granted any of their Schnai members consent to individually respond to the war.⁶ As a result, the figurative head of the Night Shadows, venerable Tyrvald Brötby who was also a Schnai jarl, sided with the Jarl of Königsheim riding out with 120 retainers to join 800 of his kin. Vorlag was soon joined by his older cousin Thorarin König and Haenir the Bold, each bringing 100 followers down from the mountaintop of Night Shadow Keep. Meanwhile, Harald Husavik remained alongside Leif the Noisy and King Orvung, though only to chronicle the events that transpired.

The arriving Night Shadow contingents were joined by the freesword Cromwell and his new mercenary band (200) who had journeyed far to throw their support behind the allies of Juma Dain.⁷ 

May 615 

G): The now assembled army of King Orvung with Jarl Balgrim and Warchief Gorm at his side, marched unhindered through Königsheim territory to confront the Schnai rebels. They would soon be met by the forces of Elgar, Odred and Knudje as they converged on their target.

Meanwhile, Jarl König received more aid in the days leading up to battle. The heroes Bjorn and Geirrod, former adventuring comrades of Vorlag, came with no followers, but they bore two of the five Blades of Corusk.⁸ Bjorn the Rogue wielded Harmonizer, a two-handed sword so light it could be swung with one hand, and his cousin Geirrod held Stalker, a blue-steel longsword which allowed him to effortlessly move with stealth. Vorlag was also one of the five Corusk heroes; in addition to his magic warhammer, the jarl wielded the Edge, a bastard sword of phenomenal sharpness. The last to join the side of Königsheim was none other than Vorlag’s estranged brother, Legen König, who for personal reasons, had not returned to Schnai in nearly two decades.⁹ Legen brought 40 elite freebooters in an effort to redeem himself and defend the honor of his clan.

H): Battle of Königsheim

As Orvung’s forces encircled the jarldom, the ships of Bardir and Hrölfson had arrived to completely trap their foes. Vorlag had chosen this battlefield however, arraying his supporter’s forces just outside his home of Königsby where an additional layer of earthen-works and palisades had been easily constructed. Likewise, the longships of König and Holdann guarded the town’s harbor day and night and so were in position on the day of battle.  

The armies loyal to Orvung totaled 8200, while Vorlag’s allies were 4200 strong. Though greatly outnumbered, the jarl’s forces had superior defenses and the ability of several veteran heroes. Encouraged by the arrival of longships loyal to them, Jarl Balgrim advised the king to immediately assault the palisades while units led by Gorm and Leif Orvungson would envelope the town, ensuring none could escape. The fury and chaos of the Battle of Königsheim was such that only a few pivotal events are remembered:

The warriors of Knudje changed their stance when they saw the dark banners of the Night Shadows were mostly in favor of Vorlag. They remained in line, unwilling to blindly attack without first talking to the jarl.

The larger ships of Holdann were supported by flaming arrows and catapults fired from watch towers facing the harbor. Bardir and Hrölfson were slain and their forces routed, with many drowned or dying by fire as their ships sank.

On the west flank, Night Shadows Leif the Noisy and Harald Husavik confronted Thorarin König, Haenir the Bold and their wizened leader Tyrvald Brötby. As they attempted diplomacy, an archer on the palisade accidentally loosed an arrow, killing the non-combatant bard Husavik. Fighting instantly erupted, but only briefly before Thorarin held a sword at Leif’s throat and called for a truce; to their dismay, their mentor Tyrvald had fallen to a spear.

On the east flank, the forces of Gorm launched hails of arrows at the defenders. Unwilling to be cut down behind a wall, the mercenaries of Legen and Cromwell went on the offense, emboldening their allies to follow their spearhead. Warchief Gorm was pulled down from his horse and captured by Legen. That is when Cromwell discovered their opponents wore new Aerdian chainmail. The arrows that littered their walls were also distinctively Aerdian. Smelling a double-cross, the sellsword mounted and rode for the central battle.

Even with the high ground, Vorlag and his kin eventually had to fall back from the press of Orvung and Balgrim’s overwhelming assault. Regrouping, the jarl and his kinsmen held their ground to prevent the destruction of their town. In the chaotic final clash between Schnai clans, Balgrim had grown frustrated that Orvung was too well-guarded, so at an opportune moment he stabbed the king with a dagger. The old king was tough as a giant however and yelled aloud at the treachery. Before the devious jarl could finish the assassination, Cromwell galloped into the fray and tackled Balgrim to the ground. Though wounded, Orvung personally finished off Balgrim as hundreds of stunned Schnai looked on. The Battle of Königsheim came to an abrupt halt as horns sounded and banners waved to signal a cease to fighting.

Aftermath: 

Orvung and Vorlag interrogated Gorm, learning the entire plot of Spidasa. Afterwards, Gorm was publicly executed by Vorlag. Orvung praised Cromwell for saving his life and forgave his past service to Overking Grenell, also gifting him one of his own longships. King Orvung apologized to all his nobles and thanes for being misled and so decreed the lands of the dead traitor Balgrim now belonged to Jarl König. Orvung’s side had suffered 4100 casualties while Vorlag’s allies lost 1300 men, including two legendary Night Shadows. The Schnai Civil War was over and Rhizia remained united.

Footnotes:

1.      Juma Dain is the adopted son of Night Shadow, Valkaun Dain. None disputed his Aerdian heritage, only that he was a direct descendant of Ivid V, who had notoriously eliminated all his offspring.

2.      The rulers of the Barbarian Alliance (Rhizia) consisted of King Lolgoff Bearhair of Cruskii, King Orvung of Schnai and King Ralff of Fruztii, mediated in a council overseen by the Night Shadows. Vassals of the three Rhizian kings ruled parts of captured territories in Stonehold, Bone March and the Sea Barons.

3.      Some say Cruskii-born Cromwell had been selected by Grenell because he would be able to ease relations with the barbarians. A secret visitation by the Grand Druid shook Cromwell. He leaned firsthand that infant Juma had been brought to Valkaun Dain by the Grand Druid himself after the child’s mother died fleeing from Overking Ivid V.

4.      It did not help that Juma’s adopted father was also a Night Shadow. Never in their history had a father and son been chosen, much less a foreign-born person.

5.      Jarl Vorlag, a renowned hero in his own right, was generally more liked than King Orvung. In times of war especially, fellow Cruskii and Fruz warriors acted more favorable to the jarl.

6.      During the Schnai Civil War, Juma Dain, still only 18, stayed at the Night Shadow Keep.

7.      Cromwell had traveled to the Bandit Kingdoms but was driven out of Stoink. From there he went to Tenh and Stonehold, gathering proven fighting men along way. The Night Shadows recognized the formidable warrior and enlisted his aid for Vorlag, escorting his band through mountain passes to Schnai.

8.      Vorlag’s other Corusk-blade kin, Orec the Druid (Greenswathe) and Thormod the Bard (Dreamsinger) did not make the journey to Schnai. It is not known why.

9.      Legen originally adventured with a young Valkaun Dain, as well as elven Archmage Mortellan before either became legendary figures. It is surmised Legen took an evil bent early in his career since he went his own way and never achieved their greatness. His self-imposed exile from Königsheim was also likely due to jealousy of his brother.

Commentary:

First of all, the Schnai Civil War was a tiny part of what me and my friend Jayson played in the Thillonrian north. With few friends available to game with back then, Jayson tended to play multiple characters. While his favorite barbarian, Valkaun sat this one out, all five Blades of Corusk were carried by his PCs, including Vorlag. Together we had created quite an elaborate setting for our Rhizia. One that easily rivals my present day Sea Princes campaign or Ull. 

I'm fortunate to have kept good notes when we played this corner of the map, but still the details of the battle were lost, besides principle players and troop counts. I know we used Companion Set: Warmachine rules for this war because the notes included these stats. The fact that Orvung has double the troops of Vorlag while the Jarl has named heroes and defensive works were all factors in these stats.

Cromwell continued to roam the Flanaess as an NPC while our friend Eric was in the Army. The war was a good opportunity to redeem his character after the Great North War. My NPC foil Legen also tied up his subplot in this battle.

Who is the Grand Druid of the Flanaess? I'm not sure without looking it up. Back then I made his name up and it was Venger! Yes, not very imaginative of me, I know.

The main NPC villains of this story, Gorm and Balgrim were my creation and there is very little info on them. I know Gorm is a F10 and that they conspired with Censor Spidasa. A lot of the narrative around them had to be created for this column to keep the overall campaign consistent.

Lastly, I'd have to check Jayson's character sheet if he still has it, but I want to say Vorlag had a dwarven-thrower hammer (but then how did it return to him being human?), or maybe he had a Hammer of Thunderbolts? Either way, this campaign was so over-the-top by then, Vorlag also has the sword Edge so take your pick.

More next time!

Greyhawk A-Z: Cities & Towns

Howdy Greyhawkers! I. As usual I need something to write about this week. I miss an opportunity when we recently talked about artifacts on Legends & Lore, and there is so much being put out in the community I don't know where to start sometimes. So instead I'll do one of my regular columns. If you have seen my A to Z column before just go to the Best of Greyhawkery and follow the links. This week I'm going to muse over various towns and cities of the Flanaess. Let's get to it!

Admundfort: Capital of the Shield Lands. I always pictured this place as an impenetrable fortress-city on a rocky island many miles out in the Lake of Unknown Depths. How could Iuz really take it over, expect by magic or flying? Otherwise, it's the perfect place to defend if you're a Knight of Holy Shielding. Although, if your primary mode of combat is horseback, it must be a pain to travel to shore and back. I imagine the knights hate being called back to see the earl.

Beetu: B-2...Bingo! Joking aside, this Nyrond city of 11,000 is featured in the Marklands, an indispensable source book. Get it! Beetu is a medieval town oppressed by a local count. It's near the Celadon Forest as well, so it's the perfect place to set a Robin Hood style campaign.

Courwood: I always loved the name of this town. I also thought it was part of Celene. I know I'm not the only one, it's got "wood" in the name for Corellon's sake! The Living Greyhawk Gazetteer disagrees. It belongs to the County of Ulek. Boo. What is Courwood's deal? I don't know!

Dorakaa: Capital of the Empire of Iuz. There is no place on Oerth more evil than this city. If you want a taste, get the 2E module City of Skulls. You want an aerial view, check out this map by me.

Exag: Have you heard of the Seeds of Seehan mini-AP? Written by Matthew Conklin and Tom Ganz, this 3-part adventure started in Dungeon #145 and features a write up on the old town of Exag in Perrenland. It's quite an exotic locale. If you can find this article, enjoy!

Fax: Town in the Wild Coast. Short name. Silly name. Maybe it's only silly because it's the shortened form of Facsimile.  I hate fax machines, maybe that's why I can't take the town seriously. There's a town in Wisconsin named Colfax. Gygax tended to use anagrams of people and places close to where he lived in Greyhawk. That's the best I got.

Glot: At a mere 5100 people, the reason Glot is capital of the Ice Barbarians has to be due to the fact it's the least icy part of the Cruskii lands.

Hochoch: The Grand Duchy of Geoff is one land that I've rarely used. I don't know why, it's got so much going on with giants and so forth. Hochoch pre-Giant Troubles is totally unknown to me unless I pick up a copy of AtG:Liberation of Geoff. Also if you're intrigued by Hochoch like me, get this awesome map by Mike Schley.

Irongate: This city in my opinion would be the best place to base an urban campaign in the east. There is alot going on here; dwarves, wizards, Iron League, Aerdian conflict, Scarlet Brotherhood, pirates, etc. It's the Minas Tirith of the Flanaess. If you want to know more check out Denis Tetreault's site Melkot, and the old Irongate Project. There is also an article on the city by Denis and Gary Holian in Dragon #351. Maybe this city project can be resurrected!

Jurnre: Found in the County of Ulek, Jurnre I believe is one of, if not the oldest city founded after the migrations. This, not Courwood, ahem, is the capital of this demihuman realm. There is actually a pretty good write-up with map of Jurnre in Fate of Istus. Don't run the adventure, just use this book as a source for all the wonderful cities in it.

Krakenheim: Capital of the Frost Barbarians. The Thillonrian peninsula (Rhizia) is so underdeveloped, but tiny Krakenheim is the most bad ass city name on the map. You just know those seafaring warriors once fought a kraken on the Grendep Bay. It used to be a great town I gather, but in 576 CY Gygax writes that the Fruztii have never recovered from the Battle of Shamblefield and they are technically under the rule of the Snow Barbarians. A shame.

Leukish: Capital of the Duchy of Urnst. I don't know what Living Greyhawk did with Leukish, but I think it's an excellent place to start if you are running Ghost Tower of Inverness (the Seer and the Soul Gem quest).as well as Maure Castle/ Mordenkainen's Fantastic Adventure. It's on the Nyr Dyv coast. You can do a lot with this city.

Magepoint: This village of 130 souls is in the module Return of the Eight. Spoilers, this village is comprised entirely of veteran infantry who work for Tenser, whose castle is off the shore from here. I like the idea of a garrison in disguise. Perfect for a wizard domain.

Nevond Nevnend: Capital of the Duchy of Tenh. I like this choice because it's a double-N entry. What little I know about Nevond is found in the book WGR5: Iuz the Evil. I recommend alot of Greyhawk books in this post, but Iuz the Evil by Carl Sargent is the only one that is a MUST HAVE. It covers so much ground. From Vesve Forest to Nevond Nevnend? That's half the map in one book. Get this now. Now this Duchy of Tenh bears no resemblance to DA4: The Duchy of Ten from the original Arneson Blackmoor campaign. There is no Nevond Nevnend, no Flannae, no Bandit Kingdoms next door and definitely no Stonefist. In fact, it's just across a river from Blackmoor! The capital is called Stargmorgan. Owning this book, I can say, while it is impossible to retrofit into the Flanaess, this Ten is much better detailed than what we get from Sargent.

Ogburg: This city of 17k is in the Theocracy of the Pale. I don't know much about it, but given the Pale's reputation of being a bit over-zealous, Ogburg probably makes Beetu look like a nice place to live.

Port Toli: I love this city. In my current Hold of the Sea Princes campaign, it's the home port of the Toli Armada. This faction contends with Monmurg in political intrigue. Port Toli is my version of Casterly Rock in Game of Thrones. Like the Lannisters, the nobles of Port Toli are rich and like to bully around others. I have grand ideas someday write-up this city. So far it's all head-canon though. If you want to know more about my vision of the Sea Princes and the Toli Armada, go download a copy of Oerth Journal #32, there is an article by me on the Unconquered Hold of the Sea Princes.

Quaalsten: This Highvale town is found in Marklands as well and yes, it's named after Quaal of feather token fame. I like this concept a lot. There should be more towns and villages named after heroes; Tenserton, Mordenkainenshire, Gordville, Leomundia, Okay this is harder than I thought.

Rel Astra: If you've been around Greyhawk you probably know Rel Astra is the biggest city in the Great Kingdom, albeit a free city with its own ruler (Drax) and intrigues. This city is possibly the biggest in the Flanaess. Greyhawk is 59,000+ and I think Astra is 61k. The only problem with Rel Astra is it's location. It's on the east coast of the map and there just isn't much for Astrans to do here unless they go around the Scarlet Brotherhood or travel overland through thousands of miles of Flanaess. If Rel Astra was in the South Province it would make a lot more sense. Ah well. I had dreamed of doing a Rel Astra campaign once, with thieves guilds and wizards, then realized it's too much like Greyhawk City, just more evil. Maybe someday I'll revisit the idea.

Spinecastle: This is a minor Furyondian fort in on the front lines of war with Iuz. Nah, just kidding. The REAL Spinecastle out near the North Province and Ratik, is what the Frost Barbarians got slaughtered over long ago. Spinecastle may be the second roughest place to visit besides Dorakaa. If you'd like to know more about this Bone March citadel, go find a copy of Dungeon #148, Gary Holian and Steven Greer's In the Shadows of Spinecastle has you covered.

Tringlee: Capital of the elven ruled Duchy of Ulek. Courwood would've been a cooler name. that's all I got on this one.

Ulakand: What? You've never heard of Ulakand? It's the capital of the toughest nomad nation in the western quarter of the Darlene map! If you want to know more, check out this map and article on Ulakand by me!

Vlekstaad: So you want a remote, rough and tumble place that isn't really like the standard medieval cities in the Flanaess? Vlekstaad and the terrible Fists of Sevvord Redbeard could be a good candidate. This place is like the Ull of the north. Vlekstaad on the coast of the Icy Sea is an interesting base to do some in-depth wilderness adventures. You got frozen waters, imposing mountains, vast tundra and a couple huge forests that look like they've hardly been explored. It's worth a try.

Womtham: A major city in Nyrond near the Duntide River. What do I know about Womtham? Not much, but I do know it's an anagram of old school game designer Tom Wham. Wham's minigames like Elefant Hunt were one of my favorite treats in Dragon Magazine back in the day. You're welcome.

Xia Ulos: I had to pull this one out of The Scarlet Brotherhood. This obscure little town is a redundant port is mainly used by the brotherhood to do maintenance on ships that can't make it back to a bigger port.

Yecha: Capital of the Tiger Nomads. I've never used it, and I'm fairly sure 90% of Greyhawk DMs haven't either. Fortunately for us all, fellow Greyhawker Blake Ryan did a write up on this town last year on Tribality.

Zeif: I love this city. It conjures pictures in my head of an Arabian Nights type story. Grab a copy of Al-Qadim and you can run some fantastic stuff here. Oh, did you know Zeif had a Living Greyhawk group for a few years (Canada)? Check out this old L&L show we did with some of Living Greyhawk: Zeif's principle members. Good times!

That's all for now. Greyhawk has thousands of cities, towns and villages. I could do this same A-Z many times over. But, eh, no thanks! See you all next time.

2E Greyhawk Wars Campaign:Prelude to the Series

Hail to thee, Greyhawk mavens! I hope you enjoyed my recent three-part epic Iuz-Furyondy War report. For those who missed out, I've been going through old 2E Greyhawk campaign notes of mine, and boy did I do A LOT OF WARS, but really isn't that what Gygax wanted? Back in AD&D's heyday, Gary supplied troop numbers in the setting books and he kept adding battles with Flanaess troop info in the pages of Dragon Magazine. War was inevitable and Carl Sargent is who brought it to us via a host of 2E supplements like the questionably useful Greyhawk Wars board game, Iuz the Evil, The Marklands, and the unprinted Ivid the Undying. To wage the many wars for my World of Greyhawk campaigns, I tried a mess of mass combat systems that all came out in the 80's and 90's, such as Companion Set's: Warmachine (my favorite), Battlesystem (I still use their counters), Birthright (loved those troop cards), and yes, even the Greyhawk Wars board game I'm afraid. This "silver age" of D&D gaming was probably our longest running campaign in terms of one continuous storyline. Ah, to be young again!

The upcoming series of wars I plan to present was recently rediscovered AFTER I posted my Iuz-Furyondy War on Greyhawkery. Chronologically however, that war is one of the last in our 2E campaign, so I'm going to pull a Star Wars prequel on you guys and go back to the start now. Disclaimer, I probably only remembered the huge Iuz-Furyondy War because I had done detailed maps and kept meticulous track of casualties. These remaining wars, timelines and assorted notes were written mainly in a narrative fashion, so battle data will not be as forthcoming. The upshot is there will be more detail in what was going on with my player's heroes during these worldwide events.

Here is a preview of the war chronology so you can see what I'll be writing about. You'll notice that my timeline was well ahead of published timeline of Greyhawk products (576-591 CY). I usually adapted new material to our ongoing campaign as it came out:

Great North War 605 CY to 609 CY
Great Kingdom War of Succession 610 CY to 611 CY
Pomarj-Celene War 610 CY to 613 CY
3-Month aka "Scarlet" War 613 CY
Schnai Civil War and Aerdy Civil War 616 CY
The Greyhawk Wars aka "The Bandit War" 617 CY to 618 CY
Battle of Bellport Harbor 623 CY
Iuz-Furyondy War 627 CY to 629 CY (Part 1, Part 2, Part 3)

Having dredged up material for eight more wars (wow) I have additional 2E campaign material I may write up that coincides with these events:

Final 2E Campaign Map of the Flanaess 638 CY
The High Ring (magocratic power group)
Revealed Land of Black Ice Colonization and Map
The Night Shadows (barbarian power group)

I hope this ends up a good trove of game material and ideas for your own Greyhawk campaign. Stay tuned!

Update 06/27/2021: Added links to associated articles that followed this prelude, for ease of navigation. Or you can find them all in the page tab for Best of Greyhawkery.

Furyondy-Iuz War Map, Part 1

Well met lords and ladies of Greyhawk! Today I have an unusual treat for your eyes and senses. This topic is so epic in fact, it will take me THREE POSTS to get through all the information! Yes, I'm going to bore you by talking about my home campaign. But not just any campaign (I've had several unlike Jay Scott), but my "silver age" 2E campaign set during the heyday of writer Carl Sargent, especially Marklands/Iuz the Evil/Ivid he Undying. This was circa 1993 back when I was in the middle of my college days, full of energy to play D&D and do class work at the same time. Of course while I was in lectures I was really working on notes for my next Greyhawk session, or in the case of these maps, I was amusing myself by drawing maps and recording the historical accounts of actual battles me and my friends conducted. Greyhawk Wars the board game came out in 1991, so pitting the entire Flanaess in conflict was a hot topic for us, especially since we'd been waging wars prior to this using only the scant troop strengths Gygax gave us in the 80's boxed set (and mostly using war machine rules in the D&D Companion Set). Less so with Wars, and moreso with Sargent's books, the greater detailed maps and troops strengths opened up things for a highly detailed campaign between the forces of Good against the Old One, Iuz. You'll see below, that the timeline for the map starts in 627 CY, that's because my campaign had been rolling a long time before Sargent's stuff came out, so I was making use of information meant "canonically" for 40 years prior. No worry, happens to us all!

Another thing, the map below was regrettably drawn on notebook paper. Like I said, I wasn't paying attention in class. If I knew that I'd be referencing these to a wider audience decades later, I'd have used something clearer and maybe in color. At any rate, I've scanned and tried to sharpen it as best as I can. The campaign map is based (and traced) from the maps found in Marklands/Iuz the Evil and it shows the thick starting border line in 627 CY, and then shifting fronts, troop strengths, special events and leaders as they are at the end of summer 628 CY. I have always loved military history and this is the closest I've ever come to accurately recording a Flanaess war or battle besides my account of the Battle of Emridy Meadows. If time was no object I'd do more of these, though this one will forever be unmatched because we actually played this campaign out. If you can make sense of the map, read along with my edited notes for the campaign (sorry I don't use Greyhawk months, it was easier thinking in Earth months as we played it out). Finally, I need to point out that battle losses are registered by Iuz forces first followed by Good allied forces.

Now, please enjoy the Iuz-Furyondy Campaign Part 1 of 3!

Map 1: Click to Enlarge

Map 1 (September 627- June 628)

Prelude 627 CY: Elven wizard, Mortellan becomes mayor of Greyhawk, marines retake Safeton, thieves guild is run out of the city.
September (wk 1): Ambassador of Iuz withdraws from treaty citing illegal activities between Furyondy, Veluna, Greyhawk Domain and Celene.
September (wk 2): The Gold Dragons (mercenary army) hired by Mortellan to defend Greyhawk.
September (wk 3): Mortellan visits Dyvers, is not welcomed well.
September (wk 4): Panshazek and Xenvelen re-open raids into Vesve with greater magic assistance. Furyondy declares state of war with Iuz. Troops move on the Fronts.
Brewfest: (no events)
October (wk 1): Swarming Ground-Razing Line Offensive (no gains). Losses 600 undead, 200 orc vs. 400 inf.
October (wk 2): Salamandra Offensive (no gains) Losses 200 undead, 200 orc vs. 200 pike.
October (wk 3): Moatshield Offensive (no gains) Losses 400 orc vs. 200 inf.
October (wk 4): First wood elves affected by chain madness. Vesve skirmishes. Losses 200 losel, 200 orc vs. few elves.
November (wk 1): Skeleton horde moves across Razing Line (Iuz gain) Losses: 200 undead, 200 orc vs. 200 inf, 200 archer, 200 lt cav.
November (wk 2): Spinecastle-Redoubt Assault (Iuz gain) Losses 1000 orc, 200 undead vs. 1000 inf, 200 pike, 200 hv inf.
November (wk 3): Work begins on old Critwall Bridge. Both sides regroup.
November (wk 4): Supplies robbed. Fendrelan Offensive (no gains) 200 undead, 400 orc vs. 200 inf.
December (wk 1): No movement. (heavy snow)
December (wk 2): No movement. (heavy snow)
December (wk 3): Salamandra Counter-Offensive led by Trithereon priests. (allied gain) Losses 400 orc vs. several clerics.

628 CY
Needfest: No movement. (cold)
January (wk 1): A chimera attacks Brancast. (no gains) Losses: 1 chimera vs. 1 resident wizard.
January (wk 2): No movement. (heavy snow)
January (wk 3): No movement. (cold)
January (wk 4): No movement. (cold)
February (wk 1): Knights of Hart (Highfolk) with Sharnalem, hunt orcs. (allied gain) Losses: 200 losel, 200 orc vs. few.
February (wk 2): No movement. (cold)
February (wk 3): Greatwall-Moatshield Offensive (no gains) Losses 1200 orc, 6 cleric, 12 fiends vs. 400 inf, 200 pike, 200 m cav, 10 spellcasters.
March (wk 1): Greyhawk sends troops to disband Pelgaryn bandits. Iuz reinforces front lines. Furyondy calls up militia in Kalinstren (1000) and Crystalreach (1200).
March (wk 2): Greyhawk defeats Pascorel and Cantona. Major raid on Castle Ehlenestra (no gains) Losses 200 undd, 200 orc, 10 cleric vs. 200 archer.
March (wk 3): Molag Offensive. Heavy fiendish presence. (no gains) Losses: 200 orc, 200 undead, 10 spellcasters, several demons vs. 200 pike, 200 hv inf, 200 inf, lt cav, 2 clerics.
March (wk 4): No movement.
Growfest: No movement.
April (wk 1): Flare Line Offensive. (no gains) Losses: 2000 orc, 20 giant, 10 spellcasters vs. 800 inf, 400 lt cav, 200 archer, 3 spellcaster.
April (wk 2): Flare Line Offensive continues (no gains) Losses: 2200 orc, 200 human, 20 giant, 20 spellcaster vs. 600 inf, 200 pike, 400 lt cav, 200 hv inf, 5 spellcaster.
April (wk 3): Sharnalem's scouts hunt in the Vesve. Losses 400 orc, 2 spellcaster vs. no casualty.
April (wk 4): Assault of Redoubt. (no gains) Losses 20 giant, 20 fiend, 200 orc, 200 undead, 20 spellcaster vs. 400 inf, 200 pike, 200 hv inf.
May (wk 1): Iuz conscripts Vesve goblins. Drives them west into wood elf territory.
May (wk 2 to wk 4): Border Skirmishes. (no gains) Losses 20 giant, 1000 orc vs. 200 pike, 400 lt cav, 400 archer.
June (wk 1): No movement.
June (wk 2): No movement. Furyondy hires heroes to successfully rescue Earl Holmer from Dorakaa. (module, City of Skulls)
June (wk 3): Moatshield Sieged. (Iuz gain) Losses 400 human vs. 400 inf, 200 lt cav.
June (wk 4): Greatwall Sieged. (Iuz gain) Losses 20 fiend, 200 human, 400 orc vs. 400 inf, 200 lt cav.

Comments: Mortellan is an elven archmage once played myself in 1E then by my late friend Brian Kuebrich. Because Mort was so instrumental in my games, many of my Greyhawk friends will know I've used Mortellan as a screen name for years.
I don't remember why Dyvers hates Mort, but I'm sure it's something Brian did, he played Mortellan as a very haughty and power-hungry wizard (he didn't like the Circle of Eight either). Bonus anecdote, Brian and my friend Jayson's character Valkaun Dain once rebuilt the three towers in Greyhawk Ruins and over an argument, Mortellan bought Valkaun's share.
The module City of Skulls was played out in one evening at my friend Eric's house. I vaguely recall cutting ALOT of corners to finish this adventure, but I recycled much of the info in later adventures where the players tried to mess with Iuz.
Next post will cover the war from June 628 to Brewfest 628. Things ramp up in this shorter time frame. See you then!

A Treasure Trove of D&D Books

Welcome Greyhawkers! Those who've gamed with me, met me at a convention or seen stream me on Legends & Lore will know I love to collect old Greyhawk and classic D&D publications. My super best friend forever, Brandi recently joined in this collecting craze when a gracious former co-worker of hers named Patrick, who was also an avid gamer wanted to find a home for his old D&D stuff rather than throw it out. Naturally, me and our friend Jayson helped appraise what was best in this collection for her bookshelf first; including a loving worn AD&D Dungeon Masters Guide, Monster Manual, Deities & Demigods (second print), City of Greyhawk books and maps (no box), a set of 1980 Darlene Greyhawk maps, many Forgotten Realms books, a mint set Silver Anniversary TSR Collection and the full four volumes of the Encyclopedia Magica. Trust me there was much more, so she is gushing with old school books now.

Of course knowing about my insatiable D&D mania, Brandi gave me anything Greyhawk related and then some. Let's have a look at this wonderful treasure trove of Patrick's. I could tell he was a hardcore Greyhawker by his classic AD&D character sheets, poster maps with holes in the corners from being mounted on the wall, custom hand drawn maps (shown for another day) and a sturdy binder that contained a full printing of Ivid the Undying and more. I am proud to carry on his collection and add it to mine. Indeed, I hope in the very distant future I too will be able to find someone as crazy and dedicated as me to curate my collection.

G2 The Glacial Rift of the Frost Giant Jarl: Rough shape, original monochrome edition. Never owned this before love it. I could run from this tomorrow.

G3 Hall of the Fire Giant King: A very rough copy that was missing the cover (which means no maps). Never owned this so I'll take it in with love anyways. Patrick didn't have G1, so that's now on my to-do list.

D1 Descent Into the Depths of the Earth: Another classic monochrome module, in good shape. Again I didn't have this before. More of the Drow series...

D1-2 Descent Into the Depths of the Earth: This was a revised edition that combined D1 and Shrine of the Kuo Toa. Already own it, but good shape. Definitely could use this mod someday.

Q1 Queen of the Demonweb Pits: This purple covered classic was wrecked from years of use and storage. The covers/maps are torn apart, but the book is still in one piece. Luckily I own it. I hope Patrick's game group defeated Lolth to cause this much damage.

L1 The Secret of Bone Hill: This classic Lakofka module was in rough shape and definitely was played through. Oddly Patrick had cut out pieces of the module (perhaps art or flavor text?). This one will have to take a rest beside my copy.

L2: Assassin's Knot: Another in the Lendore Series. Good shape. I need to run this someday...

S1 Tomb of Horrors: This classic module was also in bad shape, and the art inserts were colored (something I did to a lot of my early AD&D stuff as well). Again, I'm sure a lot of PCs died in this one, so I'd like to imagine frustrated players shredded the Tomb in revenge.

T1-4 The Temple of Elemental Evil: Much like the others, this module was wrecked, wrote in (which means it got a lot of play) and was missing most of the maps. My own copy of TOEE isn't much better. This one can hang on my shelf any day though.

U2 Danger at Dunwater: Wrecked book and covers. Luckily I got a copy of this last year and have recently ran it for 5E out of Ghosts of Saltmarsh. I'll see what I can salvage from this classic.

U3: The Final Enemy: Part three of the Saltmarsh series. This book was in very bad shape and had no covers/maps. Sadly Patrick didn't have U1 The Sinister Secret of Saltmarsh. I find it hard to believe he had these, but not U1. Wish I had asked him about it.

Greyhawk: The Adventure Begins and Players Guide to Greyhawk: Both these 2E products were in mint looking condition. Well, compared to mine. Clearly Patrick made better use of the early boxed set era stuff like many of us from that generation. Still, these books are a godsend and I will try my best to take care of them for my own Greyhawk research.

Against the Giants: The Liberation of Geoff: This adventure sourcebook is used, but in about as good shape as my own copy, so I'll gladly have two on his shelf just in case. While he didn't have much Sargent era "Greyhawk Wars" stuff, Patrick did have a lot of the stuff from that era printed out which was available online.

UK4: When a Star Falls: Good shape. Never owned this TSR United Kingdom module, but have others in the series. Can't wait to read it.

B5: Horror on the Hill: Never owned this module, unfortunately this one has a torn cover, but the booklet is in good shape. Would make a good Halloween one-shot.

I8: Ravager of Time: Another module I've never owned before. Rough shape. I own I6 Ravenloft, but what the hell happened to I1-5?

X1 The Isle of Dread (blue cover): Who didn't own this? Patrick's was worn, loving played through and now can reside by my other three copies ;)

B2 Keep on the Borderlands: Speaking of everyone owning a copy. It doesn't get any more classic than this one. This copy was also well used as I would expect. If Brandi were to change her mind and want some of these old mods, X1 and B2 would be no brainers.

B7 Rahasia: This module by Tracy and Laura Hickman had no cover and the booklet was rough looking. A shame because I never owned this one before and it looks fantastic with amazing interior art I've never seen before by Jeff Easley. A keeper nonetheless!

DA1 Adventures in Blackmoor: Patrick and his friends did a lot of Basic D&D evidently and they were no strangers to Dave Arneson's Blackmoor either. This module, which I do own coincidentally, was in decent shape, but with a torn cover. Interestingly he also donated to us, an amazing copy of a Blackmoor campaign hex map that I haven't seen in my life, but I'm sure a lot of my fellow Blackmoor aficionados would be very familiar with. (save for another day)

REF4 Book of Lairs II: This book was in good condition and is a welcome addition to my shelf since I only had volume one.

Lastly, he gifted us with a 2nd Edition DM Screen and Players Option DM Screen, both in very good condition. Both my copies were long since worn to death so this is nice to have even if I don't use screens much these days. Well that's it. Patrick if you read this blog post, you have my eternal gratitude and know that you have left a huge footprint in the Greyhawk community.

Greyhawk Collecting

 Hey Grey folks! Gen Con 2019 is fast approaching and I won't be there again. This is sad because one of my hobbies within the hobby of D&D is to collect old school D&D/AD&D stuff. Mind you I have a ton of print Greyhawk stuff. I have three Living Greyhawk Gazetteers, I have three copies of the boxed set and probably four copies of X1: Isle of Dread for some reason. Let's have a look at what I still need/desire to get. My wish list is not explicitly a call to find this stuff for me though, I'd be more pleased to find them myself at a con instead of using the internet, but, if you are willing to part with one of these books, maybe I can make a trade. Also, I'm not concentrating on novels. I own some, but let's focus on game material.

Falcon's Revenge and Flames of the Falcon. I own the 2nd in the series, Falconmaster, but never ran it. I'm not really sure I've read it! I feel like I'm missing out on some important lore here.

N1: Against the Cult of the Reptile God. How have I not found this yet? I own the digital version. This is the one I want the most on this entire list.

S1-4 Realms of Horror. I own all four of the constituent adventures of this book, but not this compilation.

Return to the Tomb of Horrors. I recall looking at this boxed set in the FLGS and thinking, I don't need this! I still don't but I'll put it on the list anyhow.

DA4 Duchy of Ten. This is a D&D Blackmoor campaign book, but I'd love to own it just see the influences. I have DA1-3 (Adventures in Blackmoor, Temple of the Frog, City of the Gods) so I'm really curious how this could build on those previous classics.

Night Below. Yeah I don't know how this one slipped by me. While it is not labelled Greyhawk, I believe it was originally intended to be. 

On Hallowed Ground and Warriors of Heaven. Books on good D&D pantheons. Not Greyhawk specifically, but holds lore. Probably didn't spark me back in the 2E era, but in hindsight it's a book I'd like to have on the shelf.

Dead Gods. A classic from the Planescape setting. I was all about Planescape when it first came out, but fell off it quick. I hear it has the Vault of the Drow in it. I wish I had got this one though, let's call this favorite #2 after N1. 

Bastion of Faith. Supposedly has info on Heironeous and Hextor. Who couldn't use that?

Of course, there is more things tied to Greyhawk than I can collect in a lifetime. Check out the Greyhawk version of Echohawk's collector's guide on ENWorld for reference in your own collecting quest.

Old D&D Commercials

Hey hey, Greyhawk fans. It's a slow weekend. Who wants to play some D&D?