Greyhawk

grodog’s Virtual Greyhawk Con 3 Report!

2025-10-16T19:03:12-04:00October 15th, 2022|

Hola folks---As usual, I had a wonderful time at Virtual Greyhawk Con again this year, the convention's third annual installment of Flan-flinging fun!  I ran three games, played in two, and participated in the closing panel again, which made for a very fun, but also very full weekend (30 Sept to 2 Oct 2022). Friday Night Only, AlasI had registered to play in Jay Hafner's 5e version of the Dragon Magazine classic adventure "Citadel by the Sea" (designed by Sid Fisher, from issue #78):  "Citadel by the Sea"---artwork by Roger Raupp My thought had been that it would be cool to kick the tires on 5e for the first time in a scenario I knew pretty well, with a DM I kn0w from the days of Greytalk.  Unfortunately work conspired to keep me away from Jay's table on Friday morning, but my empty spot filled up quickly, so he still ran with a full table (which I'm thankful for!).  Perhaps next year, Jay!Friday night, I DM'd Carlos Lising's adventure, G2 The Witch Queen's Lament, and it was quite fun.  It's always a pleasure to get to play a high-level villain, and Iggwilv is certainly one of my favorites! :DWe ran through Carlos' adventure tourney-style, and while the players were not able to complete the mission, they did plumb the depths of the vile wizard's lair that Iggwilv set them upon: Your PCs are forcibly recruited by the Witch Queen of Perrenland and geased to perform a mission on her behalf. Will you succeed and find mercy as Iggwilv restores your freedom, or will you fail in your quest and and suffer eternal consequences beyond mere death? Set ... read more!

North Texas RPGCon 2021 – grodog’s games recap

2025-10-16T19:03:55-04:00August 6th, 2021|

As usual, I had a wonderful time at the North Texas RPG Con this year (3-6 June 2021)---in particular since this was the first in-person convention that I attended since NTX in 2019!Some quick NTX info, for those who are unfamiliar with the convention:Website @ https://www.ntrpgcon.com/Facebook Group @ https://www.facebook.com/groups/310434204630TableTop Events @ https://tabletop.events/conventions/ntrpgcon-2021  Black Blade BoothThese pictures showcase our Black Blade Publishing booth this year:While it was a transitional and rebuilding year, we did well at the con, and it was great to be able to showcase so many new and cool products to the attending gamers!grodog's EventsKnights & Knaves Alehouse SocialI played in the K&KA Social on Thursday night, and had a wonderful time.  It's always fun to play with a very large group (15-25 players) each year and to see what mayhem erupts!  This year we were slated to play OD&D (we alternate between OD&D and AD&D each year), and Nathan "tetramorph" Jennings DM'd again.  We picked up from where we left off two years ago.  Here are my player maps from the 2019  session: and alas, my hapless PC---who used efreeti-granted wishes to become the Lord of the Manor last time---was laid low by those meddling kids!  Rest in pieces, Lord Merrak the Perspicacious, and know that you will be avenged!  (In the meanwhile, he and his efreet did kill the dragon and go down in a blaze of glory! =)  Nathan posted his DM-POV event summary at K&KA at https://knights-n-knaves.com/phpbb3/viewtopic.php?p=281522#p281522, with some follow-up comments in the next page too.  General discussion of the social begins on the page at https://knights-n-knaves.com/phpbb3/viewtopic.php?f=2&t=16739&start=135 Here are a few pics of the K&KA crew in the boardroom where we ... read more!

grodog’s GaryCon XIII Schedule – 25-28 March 2021

2025-10-16T19:04:11-04:00March 25th, 2021|

I'll be scarce the next several days as I'm running and playing games at GaryCon Gaming Convention XIII.   It's going to be a great convention again!---good times to be discovered, dice to be rolled, monsters to be put to the sword, and treasures to be looted! =) My schedule is full of fun this year!:Thursday, 25 MarchNoon-5pm:  DM for grodog's Castle Greyhawk:  I'm running either my "Four Way Hub Level" or "Escape from Level 14" level, based on the players' selection.  My 13 year-old son Henry will be playing in this session, which is always fun =)7pm-Midnight:  Player in Rich Frank's "Lost Temple of Set" dungeon, where we seek to recover the fabled Eye of Horus:The party has traveled through a jungle to locate an ancient and forgotten Temple of the God, Set. Set has not been worshipped in any notable or public way in centuries, most of the old temples having been thrown down and replaced with temples to other Gods. However, Set, being a major God, has been able to maintain a cult of worshippers despite being forced out of the consciousness of most of the population in this world.The motivation for the characters is to find the fabled Eye of Horus, a large piece of jade in the shape of a pointed oval, with the symbol of the Eye of Horus carved into it, and inlaid with gold. Among the purported properties of the Eye is the ability to roll back time and view what happened in the area the Eye is currently placed. (More on this in the description of the Eye of Horus at the end of this document.) Indeed, the ... read more!

On the Age Before Ages, Part 1

2022-03-03T16:57:12-05:00August 8th, 2020|

On the Age Before Ages, Part 1 “The story so far: In the beginning the Universe was created. This has made a lot of people very angry and been widely regarded as a bad move.” ― Douglas Adams, The Restaurant at the End of the Universe Where did Greyhawk come from? Gary Gygax created it, obviously. With a great deal of influence from Dave Arneson, Rob Kuntz, and Len Lakofka, I imagine. I also imagine that each and every one of Gary’s early players did, as well, in their own way. Not to mention those who wrote the modules and sourcebooks that followed. Few, if any, ever settled on a creation myth, or so they’ve said. I’ve heard interviews where those who had a hand in developing the setting expressed their desire to never actually nail down a creation myth, believing that DMs would wish to write such themselves. Did they? Some probably did; but I believe most never bothered, focusing instead on their own little corner of the world and the adventures within it, not caring whence it came from, knowing their players didn’t either. Despite their claims, those very same designers pushed the timeline back very far indeed, almost to the very hour, in some cases. Frank Mentzer did. And some of his creations were slipped into the pages of the sourcebooks that followed. Chris Pramas certainly started the clock very close to what might be called a beginning. What follows is a fairly esoteric collection TSR and WotC passages that over the decades dealt with just that: where did the multiverse come from? Were they successful in what they presented? I will leave ... read more!

On Otto

2022-03-01T15:38:57-05:00July 30th, 2020|

On Otto “My liege, and madam, to expostulate What majesty should be, what duty is, Why day is day, night night, and time is time. Were nothing but to waste night, day, and time. Therefore, since brevity is the soul of wit And tediousness the limbs and outward flourishes, I will be brief.” ― William Shakespeare, Hamlet, Act 2, scene 2, lines 93-99 What can be said of Otto? Much, apparently. More than I imagined, at first. That said, much of it was written by James M. Ward, as erudite a sage as Otto, himself. Otto is a member of the Circle of Eight; not an original member—that distinction goes to the Citadel of Eight: Mordenkainen (wizard), Yrag (fighter), Bigby (wizard), Rigby (cleric), Zigby (dwarf), Felnorith (elf), Vram (elf) & Vin (elf), a group of adventurers who sallied forth from the impregnable bastion (the obsidian Citadel) to fight evil—but one of seven archmagi whom Mordenkainen put together later to act as neutral referees between Good and Evil, lest either gain the upper hand on the other for two long. The new Circle of Eight were Bigby, Otiluke, Drawmij, Tenser, Nystul, and Otto. Jallarzi Sallavarian was recruited later, and hence forth they were known as Mordenkainen and the Circle of Eight. I’ll get to each of them in turn; but for now we are here to discuss Otto. So, what can be said about Otto? Otto, Clr3(Boccob)/Wiz15: HP 78. AL N. Str 16. Dex 10. Con 15. Int 17. Wis 15. Cha 17. Otto is 44, 5‘10“tall, 332 lbs., with long curly brown hair and green-hazel eyes. He usually wears voluminous rich robes of purple and gold, and ... read more!

Virtual Greyhawk Con: 2-4 October 2020

2022-12-26T15:57:33-05:00July 26th, 2020|

In case folks haven't heard about this virtual convention for Greyhawk fans yet, here's some info/details:    I hope everyone is staying safe during these times! It is good to see things starting to open up once again!    To continue with the online gaming momentum, I am organizing a brand new convention: Virtual Greyhawk Con 2020! This is a "Fan Content", not for profit convention, that will take place the first weekend of October, 2nd-4th.    I have commitments from NINE of my Twitch Community Live Streamers, over two continents, to provide World of Greyhawk content for those wishing to experience some of the best ever made Campaign Setting for D&D. Also we will have fantastic seminars from the likes of the great Anna Meyer, and main Sponsorship from Troll Lord Games.    For continuing information, please go to the following: https://tabletop.events/conventions/virtual-greyhawk-con-2020    Our Virtual Greyhawk Con 2020 Discord Server is setup at: https://discord.gg/yHyG75    More information during Twitch Live Streams: https://www.twitch.tv/lordgosumbaEvents that are already registered can be searched at https://tabletop.events/conventions/virtual-greyhawk-con-2020/schedule#?query=VGHC Key DatesRegistration and Event Submission............July 1st, 2020Event Registration............August 1st, 2020Last Day Event Submission............September 28th, 2020Virtual Greyhawk Con............October 2nd to the 4th, 2020I submitted events this evening, and will playtest a previously-unexplored section of my Iounic Caverns level in my version of Castle Greyhawk (on Friday and Sunday afternoons), and will submit another TBD iconic Greyhawk event for Saturday.  I'll also participate in the wrap up seminar on Sunday night.Here are details on my events, for those curious:grodog's Castle Greyhawk - The Iounic Vaults - Friday afternoon 2-7pm EDTBottle City - Castle Greyhawk with grodog - Saturday morning 10am-2pm EDTgrodog's Castle Greyhawk - The Iounic Vaults - Sunday afternoon 2-7pm ... read more!

The Castle

2022-03-03T17:41:32-05:00July 17th, 2020|

The Castle “Deep into that darkness peering, long I stood there, wondering, fearing, doubting, dreaming dreams no mortal ever dared to dream before.” ― Edgar Allan Poe, The Raven Shrieks echoed, mingling from near and far. Human, orc, gnoll. The gnolls were the worst; theirs was a twisted, hideous laughter. Don’t listen, he thought, desperately trying not to. But … how could he not hear? Philbin pressed himself into the wall, but for all his desire to be one with it, its surface wouldn’t yield to his need. Move, damn it, he thought. But his body betrayed him. Coward! You bloody coward! Some Knight Protector, you turned out to be! But Marquis Clement never said it would be like this, did he? He spoke of honour and chivalry and protecting the weak, of orcs and gnolls and bandits, and even of Ur-Flan wizards, but he never once said anything about walls that flowed and bled like they were torn by …. By what? Darkness? Colour? That nauseating, undulating blend of colour that defied any description short of the emotions that mirrored it: sickness, hatred, horror? It smelled as much, too: if sick and iron and rot. And what of the noisome cacophony that flowed with it? It rends the soul to hear such a thing. Beads of sweat rolled from his brow. They stung his eyes. He closed them. Wiped them. And opened them again to the rippling ink and colour that threatened to unhinge him. Okay, he thought, said, whispered, and made to move his foot. He actually heard it scrape the floor. “Shhh!” He stopped, having hardly shifted. Philbin squinted and a shape resolved ... read more!

On the Circle of Eight

2022-03-01T17:03:08-05:00July 2nd, 2020|

On the Circle of Eight “You see, we cannot draw lines and compartments and refuse to budge beyond them. Sometimes you have to use your failures as stepping-stones to success. You have to maintain a fine balance between hope and despair.' He paused, considering what he had just said. 'Yes', he repeated. 'In the end, it's all a question of balance.” ― Rohinton Mistry, A Fine Balance “To light a candle is to cast a shadow...” ― Ursula K. Le Guin, A Wizard of Earthsea   The Obsidian Citadel The Circle of Eight is somewhat legendary in the annals of Greyhawk canon. But what is it, actually? Canon says that it’s the vanguard of Balance; but what in god’s green acre does that mean? I’ve no idea, really. It’s not like Iuz or the Scarlet Brotherhood ever petitioned Mordenkainen to intervene on their behalf, citing unfair treatment by fair Veluna or benevolent Nyrond.  Help us! They are keeping us from greatness!  I prefer its initial mandate, when it was a group of adventurers who sallied forth, smiting Evil where it had taken root. So, what changed? And did they ever? I think not; so, I don’t understand the Champions of Balance moniker. One might say that Balance has always meant the suppression of Evil, which always waxes, while the nations of the world remain blind to it as they bicker amongst themselves in deluded self-interest, oblivious to the true danger luring in the north, or the shadows, or the hearts of men. No matter, I’ve gathered a fair bit of what was written on the Circle, and I leave it up to you to make up ... read more!

History of the South-East, Part 6: A Continuance of Sorrow

2020-05-30T08:45:00-04:00May 30th, 2020|

History of the South-East, Part 6: A Continuance of Sorrow“Hateful to me as the gates of Hades is that man who hides one thing in his heart and speaks another.”― Homer, The Iliad Wicked is as wicked does. The Great Kingdom was but a pale reflection of what it had been. The far-flung protectorates were falling from the fold. Were that its only concern. The Knights Protector had failed to safeguard the land they were sworn to defend. Evil had risen from within their very ranks, and threatened to overwhelm them. Hextor had risen in the east, and Heironeous had all but fled the land of the rising sun, preferring the west, where virtue still reigned. 300-350 CY         As anarchy crept into the Great Kingdom, more and more of its northern provinces became increasingly independent. And in some case lawless. Petty fiefs sprang up, their rulers declaring themselves kings and barons and dukes and such. And where ruffians seized power, banditry prevailed. Those that banded together overwhelmed those that did not and became known collectively as the Bandit Kingdoms, a loose confederacy of tyrants that preyed upon one another and clung together to ward against those who’d wish to annex them. They saw themselves differently. They saw themselves as Free Lords. The Bandit Kingdoms are a collection of petty holdings. Each little kingdom is ruled by a robber chieftain claiming a title such as Baron, Boss, Plar, General, Tyrant, Prince, Despot and even King. In all there are 17 states within the confines of the area, ruled by 4 to 6 powerful lords, and the rest attempting either to become leading rulers or simply to survive. [Folio] ... read more!

Planar Architecture for grodog’s Current Greyhawk Campaigns

2022-12-26T15:57:35-05:00May 28th, 2020|

Part of what I'm working toward, by defining and incorporating the forgotten Folio forest into my current Greyhawk campaigns, is to play a more gates-oriented game.  This is one of several campaign concepts on my DMing bucket list, and in this case they appear excerpted here as a cluster of related ideas:Games/campaigns I'd most like to run, in rough order of my desire:gates-driven AD&D campaign starting out at fresh at low level (1st-3rd-ish), where gates are sufficiently common that they drive the entire campaign:  economy, weather, culture, travel, etc. (think The Primal Order meets Stargate meets World of Tiers meets Moorcock's multiverse meets Greyhawk)AD&D "Treasure of the Dragon Queen"; I'll have to write it first, of course:  http://www.greyhawkonline.com/grodog/gh_tourneys_dragon_queen.html AD&D Greyhawk drowic adaptation of MERP 1e Courts of Ardor campaign (could be played as an evil campaign by drowic PCs or traditional good-ish PCs; could merge with previous gates-driven entry)AD&D Abyssal campaign (PCs are a new generation of demons, vying for power amidst the chaos; could combine with gates or drowic ones above); I've slowly been building the framework for an AD&D game where the PCs run demons and explore the mythic geography of the multiverseIn order to play a gates-oriented game, I need to design elements that specifically introduce gates and related magics into the game.  Some of that is easier, some harder.  We'll see how it goes as the games continue, but here's the framework that I've been working up for Oerth's immediate multiversal neighborhood.  I wrote the bulk of this post in response to some discussion in the Greyhawk sub-reddit, in which the user u/P4TR10T_96 asked A Question About the Planes:Are [the planes] ... read more!

History of the South-East, Part 5: A Descent Into Sorrow

2020-05-16T07:53:00-04:00May 16th, 2020|

History of the South-East, Part 5: A Descent Into Sorrow“His descent was like nightfall.”― Homer, The Iliad The Great Kingdom had reached its apex; and with it, decadence. Its aristocracy had grown fat on indulgence; its throne even more so. An omen of the coming days had streaked across the sky, predicting its decline; of course, none had taken heed. Theirs was the time of unparalleled wealth, and unparalleled power. Had they looked to the past for guidance… For the Suel Imperium might have taught them the price of pride, hubris, and cruelty. c. 200 CY              The Viceroyalty of Ferrond looked to the east, and so apathy. And a rising incomitance. The Kingdom had left them; that much was sure. But the Kingdom still demanded its tithe, for the Kingdom believed that was its due. The Viceroyalty was not as convinced of that venerable seat of power’s claim. For, did not Dyvers determine their course, did not Dyvers see to their affairs. What need did they have of the Malachite Throne then? For three centuries the Aerdy held a vast empire which fluctuated in extent but little, until after the third Celestial House (dynasty) when the borders began to close in upon the original territory of the Aerdi. [Folio] As the power of the Malachite Throne in Rauxes waned, the Viceroys of Ferrond ruled more by their own writ and less by the leave of the Aerdi overlords. [Folio] The Kingdom, in its hubris, did not heed the stirrings of independence to the west. Trade flowed. Riches continued to arrive. But too slowly for its liking. So, Leukish was constructed to facilitate the flow. By ... read more!

Guilds in the City of Greyhawk

2020-04-14T20:43:38-04:00April 14th, 2020|

Guilds in the City of Greyhawk Adventurers, Guild of (City of Greyhawk)[GLD]POLY#92 - 12,17 Ahlissan Merchants Headquarters (City of Greyhawk)[GLD] Apothecaries & Herbalists, Guild of (City of Greyhawk)[GLD] COG:FFF - 30 Architects & Stonemasons, Guild of (City of Greyhawk)[GLD] COG:FFF - 30,40 COG:GOTF - 74 LGJ#2 - 4,7,9 PGTG - 29,33 TAB - 69,112,114,121 Artisans League (City of Greyhawk)[GLD] Assassins, Guild of (City of Greyhawk)[GLD] COG:FFF - 6,42,43,57,79 COG:GOTF - 84,88,89,91,93 COH - 23,144 DRG#301 - 89 FTAC - 8,11,81 GA - 38-40 LGJ#2 - 5,6 NA - 284,289,346,368,394 PGTG - 29,30,59 SLV - 11,30 TAB - 34,40,41,44,57,60,62,63,68,69,73,99,101,116,120, ,124,126,127 WGR2 - 11,12 Barbers and Dentists, Guild of, (City of Greyhawk)[GLD] COG:FFF - 31,64,65 Beggars, Guild of, {Union}{Palace of Trash}(City of Greyhawk)[GLD] COG:C# - 1 COG:FFF - 14,38,41,44-46,78,82,95 COG:GOTF - 13-15,43,84,86,89 COH - 119,123,126,131,154,162,170         DOD - 8         DRG#301 - 7,88,89,90,92 PGTG - 29,33 SOOC - 31,33,34,45,54,56-58,60 TAB - 44,61,62,69,70,73,121,125,126 WGA4 - 27,29 Blacksmiths, Armorers, Shieldmakers and Ironworkers, Guild of (City of Greyhawk)[GLD] Butchers, Guild of (City of Greyhawk)[GLD] COG:FFF - 31,32,65 TAB - 46,59,118 Carpenters, Furnituremakers, Barrelmakers, Guild of (City of Greyhawk)[GLD] COG:GOTF - 74 LGJ#2 - 4,7 POLY#92 - 15 Cartographers, Guild of (City of Greyhawk)[GLD] COG:FFF - 32,40 COG:GOTF - 79 PGTG - 30,32 TAB - 11,12,103 Clothworkers, Guild of (City of Greyhawk)[GLD] DRG#262 - 41 TAB - 103,115 Couriers and Messengers, Union of (City of Greyhawk)[GLD] Craftsmen, Guild of (City of Greyhawk)[GLD] Dockers and Wharfmen, Union of (City of Greyhawk)[GLD] COG:C# - 6 COG:FFF - 32,39 TAB - 45,77 Drovers, Teamsters and Overland Freighters, Alliance of (City of Greyhawk)[GLD] Embalmers and Gravediggers, Guild of (City ... read more!

City – City of Greyhawk Contour Map

2020-04-07T20:55:59-04:00April 7th, 2020|

City of Greyhawk Contour Map Please forgive the grade-school style of my work, but I've never been a dab hand at drawing or cartography.This map is based on the map found in Gygax's City of Hawk's novel.The Purple is the highest elevation with each elevation depicting around a 50 foot rise, then red, green, and uncolored. The Blue represents the Selintan River. The red lines represents the city walls.I placed the Citadel at the highest elevation. High, Garden and River quarters I envisioned as hills that had been shaped and plateaued. The University and Clerkberg areas as well. The Old City I saw as a two step plateau with a higher elevation in the center with one end containing the Old City barracks, now the Prison Workhouse.For the most part I have seen the City of Greyhawk depicted as flat, but in City of Hawks it mentions that, "The rambling walls follow the entire complex of ridges and hills that rolled from the northern tip of Old City to where the Grey Run and the Selintan flowed together."The colored splotches shown on this map are a very rough estimate. Within each area I see winding streets, some cliff-like areas while others rise slowly to higher areas. Some areas may have a more ridged or sculpted appearances, while many of the streets and buildings may tilt at angles in a ramshackle and shoddy construction. Originally published on the Hall of the Mountain King blog.

Renovating the Monastery – Recasting the Classic DMG Dungeon in Greyhawk – Part 1

2022-12-26T15:57:39-05:00February 16th, 2020|

Wichita Greyhawk CampaigningI ran the unnamed sample monastery dungeon from the Dungeon Masters Guide for my eldest son's after-school AD&D group a few years ago, and I've repurposed it as one of the starting points for the new Wichita Greyhawk campaign that kicked off last month.  I've compiled the bits and pieces about it that I've discussed over at the Knights & Knaves Alehouse forum and Scott Gregg's Doomsday Games forum:BackgroundMaps - Wilderness Environs Maps - Dungeon LevelsKeysI'm detailing #1 and #2 in this post, with more info to follow on the updated, revised, and expanded dungeon maps and keys later.  Below I dig into plenty of spoilers for the sample dungeon, so if you are currently playing through it, you should stop reading now. *** SPOILERS  ****** *** *** SPOILERS ****** *** *** SPOILERS ****** *** *** SPOILERS *** *** *** *** SPOILERS *** *** *** *** SPOILERS *** *** *** *** SPOILERS *** *** *** *** SPOILERS *** Background I've decided to leverage my continued interest in the sects and cults of Wee Jas for my background to the DMG Monastery dungeon in the Wicihta campaign.  This necessitates some changes to the original sketchy background from the DMG:The slain abbot becomes an abbess The fire opal becomes a holy relic of Wee Jas, perhaps in part reflecting her vanityThe lower level needs a new rationale from how I'd originally conceived it, and I'm thinking it may be tied to the Plane of Shadow now, but am still noodling on that:  perhaps the shadow influences are what, in part, lead to the near-total destruction of the monastery, and if so, it seems likely that the destruction was meted out ... read more!

History of the North, Part 5: The Coming Storm

2020-02-15T08:58:00-05:00February 15th, 2020|

History of the North, Part 5: The Coming Storm "Men's evil manners live in brass; their virtues we write in water.' Shakespeare, Henry VIII (1613) Act 4, sc.2, l.45 The forces of weal and good had much to celebrate. Iuz was no more. Iggwilv’s tyranny had been vanquished. But more than even these great victories, they had stood against a great menace that had hitherto lurked in a quiet corner of the world. However, no reprieve lasts forever. Evil rises again and again, and all must be vigilant, for it rises in the most unexpected places. One might expect that it takes root in tangled forests and fetid swamps, but that is not true; it festers in the hearts of the lustful, the wrathful, in avarice and vanity, pride and vainglory. And in the soul of the defeated. Thus, the greatest Evil might rise up in the most unlikely places, a village, or a hamlet, unseen. c.550 CY               A collection of hovels and their slovenly inhabitants formed the nucleus for the troubles which were to increase. A wicked cleric established a small chapel at this point. The folk of Hommlet tended to ignore Nulb, even though it was but six miles distant. [T1 The Village of Hommlet] The village of Nubb began to fester with all manner if evil folk, culminating with the founding of the soon infamous Temple of Elemental Evil. The troubles began soon thereafter. Local caravans, gnome clans and the neighboring village of Hommlet, became easy targets for bandits from that region. [The Battle of Emridy Meadows, by Mike Bridges] 568 CY  News of this evil quickly spread to the Viscounty of ... read more!

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